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Are Utilities Stocks Lagging MYR Group (MYRG) This Year?

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Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has MYR Group (MYRG - Free Report) been one of those stocks this year? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Utilities sector should help us answer this question.

MYR Group is a member of the Utilities sector. This group includes 107 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #5. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

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. MYR Group is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MYRG's full-year earnings has moved 8% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the most recent data, MYRG has returned 25.6% so far this year. In comparison, Utilities companies have returned an average of 6.7%. This shows that MYR Group is outperforming its peers so far this year.

NiSource (NI - 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 8.9%.

The consensus estimate for NiSource's current year EPS has increased 0.4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, MYR Group belongs to the Electric Construction industry, which includes 1 individual stocks and currently sits at #6 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 25.6% so far this year, meaning that MYRG is performing on par in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, NiSource falls under the Utility - Electric Power industry. Currently, this industry has 58 stocks and is ranked #91. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +7.2%.

MYR Group and NiSource could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Utilities stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.

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