Is Northern Technologies International (NTIC) Outperforming Other Basic Materials Stocks This Year?

Company Overview - Northern Technologies (NTIC) is a member of the Basic Materials group, which consists of 241 companies and is currently ranked 5 in the Zacks Sector Rank [2] - NTIC has a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), indicating a favorable earnings outlook [3] Performance Analysis - NTIC has gained approximately 57.1% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the Basic Materials sector, which has returned an average of -0.3% [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NTIC's full-year earnings has increased by 4% over the past quarter, reflecting improved analyst sentiment [4] Industry Context - NTIC belongs to the Chemical - Diversified industry, which includes 29 stocks and is currently ranked 89 in the Zacks Industry Rank; this industry has gained an average of 0.3% year-to-date [6] - In comparison, Centerra Gold Inc. (CGAU), another outperforming stock in the Basic Materials sector, is part of the Mining - Gold industry, which has moved +14.9% since the beginning of the year [7]