With 444 S&P 500 members having reported their quarterly figures as of May 9, the first-quarter earnings season is nearing its last leg. Total earnings for these companies are up 24.5% year over year on 9.3% higher revenues, with 77.7% beating earnings estimates and 75% surpassing top-line expectations.
This year’s January-March earnings scorecard has been impressive, with the Construction sectorcurrently ruling the roost among the 16 Zacks sectors. Increased public spending, lower tax rates, upbeat wage rates and reduced trade deficits are expected to propel the economic growth and augment aggregate construction spending in the country.
Given this backdrop, investors can make the most of the opportunity by betting on top-ranked construction stocks for valuable returns. Among the numerous potential gainers, adding Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. JECto your portfolio will be a valuable investment choice at the moment. On a month-to-date basis, this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock has rallied 9.4%, outperforming the sectoral gain of 2.2%.