Group 1 - AutoNation (AN) is a notable stock in the Retail-Wholesale sector, currently outperforming its peers with a year-to-date return of approximately 27.1% compared to the sector average of 5.1% [4] - The Zacks Rank system indicates that AutoNation holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), reflecting improved analyst sentiment and a stronger earnings outlook, with a 5.2% increase in the consensus estimate for full-year earnings over the past 90 days [3] - AutoNation is part of the Automotive - Retail and Wholesale industry, which includes 10 companies and is currently ranked 18 in the Zacks Industry Rank, outperforming the industry's average gain of 1.2% this year [5] Group 2 - Dollar General (DG) is another strong performer in the Retail-Wholesale sector, with a year-to-date return of 34.4% and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), supported by a 6.4% increase in the consensus EPS estimate over the past three months [4][5] - The Retail - Discount Stores industry, to which Dollar General belongs, is ranked 32 and has seen a gain of 3.5% this year, indicating a relatively weaker performance compared to AutoNation [6]
Are Retail-Wholesale Stocks Lagging AutoNation (AN) This Year?