Are Medical Stocks Lagging Astellas Pharma (ALPMY) This Year?

Company Overview - Astellas Pharma Inc. (ALPMY) is a notable stock in the Medical sector, which consists of 998 individual stocks and ranks 6 in the Zacks Sector Rank [2] - The company currently holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), indicating strong potential for outperforming the market in the near term [3] Performance Analysis - Astellas Pharma's full-year earnings consensus estimate has increased by 15.3% over the past quarter, reflecting improved analyst sentiment and earnings outlook [4] - Year-to-date, Astellas Pharma has gained approximately 1%, while the average loss in the Medical group is about 2.4%, showcasing its better performance relative to the sector [4] Industry Context - Astellas Pharma belongs to the Medical - Drugs industry, which includes 164 companies and currently ranks 71 in the Zacks Industry Rank [6] - The Medical - Drugs industry has seen an average gain of 3% year-to-date, indicating that Astellas Pharma is slightly underperforming its industry peers [6] Comparative Analysis - Another stock, AtriCure (ATRC), has outperformed the sector with an 8.1% gain year-to-date and has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5] - AtriCure is part of the Medical - Products industry, which has 83 stocks and ranks 140, with an average gain of 5.7% since the beginning of the year [7]