Investors focused on the Aerospace space have likely heard of Northrop Grumman (NOC Quick QuoteNOC - Free Report) , but is the stock performing well in comparison to the rest of its sector peers? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Aerospace peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Northrop Grumman is a member of the Aerospace sector. This group includes 37 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #1. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.

The Zacks Rank is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. NOC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for NOC's full-year earnings has moved 2.19% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Based on the latest available data, NOC has gained about 17.75% so far this year. At the same time, Aerospace stocks have gained an average of 17.69%. As we can see, Northrop Grumman is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Looking more specifically, NOC belongs to the Aerospace - Defense industry, which includes 12 individual stocks and currently sits at #19 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 15.89% so far this year, so NOC is performing better in this area.

Going forward, investors interested in Aerospace stocks should continue to pay close attention to NOC as it looks to continue its solid performance.