when research or investment analysts designate a stock overweight it reflects an opinion that the security will outperform its industry its sector or the entire market 
an analyst s rating of overweight for a retail stock would suggest that the stock will perform above the average return of the retail industry overall over the next eight to 12 months the alternative weighting recommendations are equal weight or underweight equal weight implies that the security is expected to perform in line with the index while underweight implies that the security is expected to lag the index in question 