The commercial banking, electric utilities, infrastructure, household products and gas utilities sectors are rising to the top this week on the Portfolio Grader database.
Commercial banking is thriving this week with 100% of stocks in the sector (5 out of 5) currently rating a “buy”. Within the commercial banking sector, Pacific Capital Bancorp (PCBC) and StellarOne Corporation (STEL) receive top marks of A’s. Citizens Republic Bancorp (CRBC) is also getting a B.
With 85% of the sector’s stocks (35 out of 41) rating a “buy,” the electric utilities sector is one of the strongest. Edison International (EIX), Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (HE) and Xcel Energy (XEL) are paving the way for the sector with A grades. The best performer in this sector is Edison International, which saw its price rise 53% in the last 12 months.
Infrastructure is excelling, with 80% of stocks in the sector (4 out of 5) rating a “buy”. With overall grades of A, Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation (MIC), Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte SAB de CV Sponsored ADR Class B (OMAB) and Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico SAB de CV Sponsored ADR Class B (PAC) are buoying the sector. Macquarie Infrastructure Corporation is the best performer in this sector, with a 192.2% increase in the last 12 months.
Household products stands out with 78% of the sector’s stocks (7 out of 9) rating a “buy”. Out of the household products stocks, Clorox Company (CLX), Church & Dwight Co., Inc. (CHD) and Colgate-Palmolive Company (CL) are out front with A’s. Church & Dwight Co., Inc. is performing the best overall in the sector, with a 93.1% increase from 12 months ago.
The gas utilities sector is thriving on Portfolio Grader this week, with 76% of its stocks (13 out of 17) currently rating a “buy”. WGL Holdings, Inc. (WGL), New Jersey Resources Corporation (NJR) and ONE Gas, Inc. (OGS) are all currently earning A’s. WGL Holdings, Inc. beats the other stocks in its sector, with a 30.7% increase from a year ago.
Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.
