GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (GWPH) Is Up 1.6% in One Week: What You Should Know

Momentum investing revolves around the idea of following a stock's recent trend in either direction. In the 'long' context, investors will be essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." With this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving that way. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.

While many investors like to look for momentum in stocks, this can be very tough to define. There is a lot of debate surrounding which metrics are the best to focus on and which are poor quality indicators of future performance. The Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.

Below, we take a look at GW Pharmaceuticals PLC (GWPH), which currently has a Momentum Style Score of B. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.

It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. GW Pharmaceuticals PLC currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B outperform the market over the following one-month period.

You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>>

Set to Beat the Market?

In order to see if GWPH is a promising momentum pick, let's examine some Momentum Style elements to see if this company holds up.

Looking at a stock's short-term price activity is a great way to gauge if it has momentum, since this can reflect both the current interest in a stock and if buyers or sellers have the upper hand at the moment. It is also useful to compare a security to its industry, as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area.

For GWPH, shares are up 1.6% over the past week while the Zacks Medical - Products industry is down 1.46% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 12.31% compares favorably with the industry's 0.06% performance as well.

While any stock can see a spike in price, it takes a real winner to consistently outperform the market. Shares of GW Pharmaceuticals PLC have increased 21.6% over the past quarter, and have gained 16.49% in the last year. In comparison, the S&P 500 has only moved 3.54% and 7.23%, respectively.

Investors should also pay attention to GWPH's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. GWPH is currently averaging 470,429 shares for the last 20 days.

Earnings Outlook

The Zacks Momentum Style Score encompasses many things, including estimate revisions and a stock's price movement. Investors should note that earnings estimates are also significant to the Zacks Rank, and a nice path here can be promising. We have recently been noticing this with GWPH.

Over the past two months, 6 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost GWPH's consensus estimate, increasing from -$9.08 to -$4.55 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 5 estimates have moved upwards while there have been 1 downward revision in the same time period.

Bottom Line

Taking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that GWPH is a #2 (Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of B. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep GW Pharmaceuticals PLC on your short list.

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