Investors focused on the Medical space have likely heard of Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX Quick QuoteVRTX - Free Report) , but is the stock performing well in comparison to the rest of its sector peers? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a member of our Medical group, which includes 901 different companies and currently sits at #2 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 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. VRTX is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for VRTX's full-year earnings has moved 9.57% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the most recent data, VRTX has returned 8.25% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Medical group have lost about 1.22% on average. As we can see, Vertex Pharmaceuticals is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Breaking things down more, VRTX is a member of the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry, which includes 385 individual companies and currently sits at #92 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 0.17% this year, meaning that VRTX is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Investors in the Medical sector will want to keep a close eye on VRTX as it attempts to continue its solid performance.