Are Retail-Wholesale Stocks Lagging Advance Auto Parts (AAP) This Year?

Company Performance - Advance Auto Parts (AAP) has returned 29.3% year-to-date, outperforming the average gain of 5.1% in the Retail-Wholesale sector [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AAP's full-year earnings has increased by 20% over the past three months, indicating improved analyst sentiment and earnings outlook [4] - AAP currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), suggesting a favorable investment outlook [3] Industry Context - Advance Auto Parts is part of the Automotive - Retail and Wholesale - Parts industry, which has an average gain of 12.2% year-to-date, indicating AAP's strong performance within its specific industry [6] - The overall Retail-Wholesale sector, which includes 204 individual stocks, is ranked 13 in the Zacks Sector Rank [2] - Another stock in the Retail-Wholesale sector, GMS, has also shown strong performance with a year-to-date increase of 29.5% and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5]