Investors focused on the Aerospace space have likely heard of AeroVironment (AVAV Quick QuoteAVAV - Free Report) , but is the stock performing well in comparison to the rest of its sector peers? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

AeroVironment is a member of our Aerospace group, which includes 37 different companies and currently sits at #1 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.

The Zacks Rank emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. AVAV is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AVAV's full-year earnings has moved 12.89% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the most recent data, AVAV has returned 73.04% so far this year. In comparison, Aerospace companies have returned an average of 12.01%. This means that AeroVironment is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Breaking things down more, AVAV is a member of the Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry, which includes 21 individual companies and currently sits at #55 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 10.04% so far this year, so AVAV is performing better in this area.

Investors in the Aerospace sector will want to keep a close eye on AVAV as it attempts to continue its solid performance.