Is Ashland Inc. (ASH) Stock Outpacing Its Basic Materials Peers This Year?

Company Overview - Ashland (ASH) is currently ranked 2 in the Zacks Sector Rank for Basic Materials, indicating strong performance relative to its peers [1] - The Zacks Rank system highlights stocks with favorable earnings estimates and revisions, with Ashland holding a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [1] Earnings Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Ashland's full-year earnings has increased by 5.2% in the past quarter, reflecting improved analyst sentiment [2] - Year-to-date, Ashland's stock has gained approximately 13.7%, while the average loss for Basic Materials stocks is 2.5%, showcasing Ashland's outperformance [2] Industry Comparison - Ashland is part of the Chemical - Specialty industry, which has seen an average loss of 21.4% this year, further emphasizing Ashland's strong performance [3] - In contrast, Buenaventura (BVN), another outperforming stock in the Basic Materials sector, belongs to the Mining - Silver industry, which has gained 10.2% this year [3]