Investors focused on the Medical space have likely heard of DaVita (DVA Quick QuoteDVA - Free Report) , but is the stock performing well in comparison to the rest of its sector peers? One simple way to answer this question is to take a look at the year-to-date performance of DVA and the rest of the Medical group's stocks.

DaVita is a member of the Medical sector. This group includes 892 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #1. 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. DVA is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for DVA's full-year earnings has moved 9.09% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Our latest available data shows that DVA has returned about 9.76% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Medical group have lost about 3.46% on average. This shows that DaVita is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Looking more specifically, DVA belongs to the Medical - Outpatient and Home Healthcare industry, which includes 17 individual stocks and currently sits at #64 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 5.55% so far this year, so DVA is performing better in this area.

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