Is National Grid (NGG) Outperforming Other Utilities Stocks This Year?

NGG RWEOY

Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. National Grid (NGG - Free Report) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Utilities peers, we might be able to answer that question.

National Grid is one of 111 companies in the Utilities group. The Utilities group currently sits at #10 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.

The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. National Grid is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NGG's full-year earnings has moved 4.3% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Our latest available data shows that NGG has returned about 1.1% since the start of the calendar year. At the same time, Utilities stocks have lost an average of 4.1%. This shows that National Grid is outperforming its peers so far this year.

RWE AG (RWEOY - Free Report) is another Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 3.9%.

In RWE AG's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 15.2% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Breaking things down more, National Grid is a member of the Utility - Electric Power industry, which includes 62 individual companies and currently sits at #84 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 5.1% so far this year, meaning that NGG is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns. RWE AG is also part of the same industry.

Investors with an interest in Utilities stocks should continue to track National Grid and RWE AG. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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