Investors focused on the Aerospace space have likely heard of Heico (HEI Quick QuoteHEI - Free Report) , but is the stock performing well in comparison to the rest of its sector peers? One simple way to answer this question is to take a look at the year-to-date performance of HEI and the rest of the Aerospace group's stocks.

Heico 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 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. HEI is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for HEI's full-year earnings has moved 3.84% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

According to our latest data, HEI has moved about 68.95% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Aerospace companies have returned an average of 24.26%. This means that Heico is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Breaking things down more, HEI is a member of the Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry, which includes 21 individual companies and currently sits at #40 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 29.80% so far this year, so HEI is performing better in this area.

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