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Is National Fuel Gas Company (NFG) Outperforming Other Utilities Stocks This Year?

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Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is National Fuel Gas (NFG - Free Report) one of those stocks right now? 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 Fuel Gas is a member of our Utilities group, which includes 108 different companies and currently sits at #3 in 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 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. National Fuel Gas is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for NFG's full-year earnings has moved 3.4% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the latest available data, NFG has gained about 11.5% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Utilities sector has returned an average of 1.9% on a year-to-date basis. This means that National Fuel Gas is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

New Jersey Resources (NJR - 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 7.5%.

The consensus estimate for New Jersey Resources' current year EPS has increased 4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, National Fuel Gas belongs to the Utility - Gas Distribution industry, which includes 15 individual stocks and currently sits at #56 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 13.2% so far this year, meaning that NFG is slightly underperforming its industry in terms of year-to-date returns. New Jersey Resources is also part of the same industry.

Investors interested in the Utilities sector may want to keep a close eye on National Fuel Gas and New Jersey Resources as they attempt to continue their solid performance.


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