Are Consumer Staples Stocks Lagging Lancaster Colony (LANC) This Year?

Company Overview - Lancaster Colony (LANC) is a notable stock within the Consumer Staples sector, which consists of 180 individual stocks [2] - The company currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a favorable outlook based on earnings estimate revisions [3] Performance Analysis - Year-to-date, Lancaster Colony has increased by approximately 7.8%, while the average performance of Consumer Staples stocks has declined by 0.5%, showcasing LANC's outperformance [4] - In comparison, another Consumer Staples stock, RH, has risen by 2.2% year-to-date, with a consensus EPS estimate increase of 9.7% over the past three months [5] Industry Context - Lancaster Colony is categorized under the Food - Miscellaneous industry, which includes 43 companies and currently ranks 178 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This industry has seen an average decline of about 4.7% this year, indicating LANC's relative strength [6] - In contrast, RH is part of the Consumer Products - Staples industry, which has 30 stocks and is ranked 155, with a year-to-date performance of -1.4% [7]