Investors focused on the Medical space have likely heard of Novartis (NVS Quick QuoteNVS - Free Report) , but is the stock performing well in comparison to the rest of its sector peers? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Medical sector should help us answer this question.

Novartis is a member of our Medical group, which includes 866 different companies and currently sits at #3 in the Zacks Sector Rank. 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. NVS is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for NVS's full-year earnings has moved 1.77% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Our latest available data shows that NVS has returned about 6.32% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Medical companies have returned an average of 3.62%. This means that Novartis is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Looking more specifically, NVS belongs to the Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry, which includes 14 individual stocks and currently sits at #60 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 2.42% so far this year, so NVS is performing better in this area.

Investors with an interest in Medical stocks should continue to track NVS. The stock will be looking to continue its solid performance.