Apparel stocks are riding high in the thick of back-to-school shopping season. The sector ranked No. 1, while two subgroups — shoes and clothing manufacturers — ranked Nos. 1 and 23, respectively, among the 197 industry groups in Wednesday’s IBD. The National Retail Federation actually expects a slight dip in back-to-school spending this year, but that’s primarily due to forecasts for lower electronic device sales.