Investors interested in Business Services stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Publicis Groupe SA (PUBGY) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Business Services sector should help us answer this question.

Publicis Groupe SA is a member of the Business Services sector. This group includes 312 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #4. 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. Publicis Groupe SA is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PUBGY's full-year earnings has moved 1.5% higher within the past quarter. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Our latest available data shows that PUBGY has returned about 17.3% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Business Services group have gained about 16.4% on average. This means that Publicis Groupe SA is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another Business Services stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is MasterCard (MA). The stock has returned 18.7% year-to-date.

For MasterCard, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 0.2% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, Publicis Groupe SA is a member of the Advertising and Marketing industry, which includes 16 individual companies and currently sits at #48 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 6.1% so far this year, so PUBGY is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

MasterCard, however, belongs to the Financial Transaction Services industry. Currently, this 43-stock industry is ranked #83. The industry has moved +15% so far this year.

Publicis Groupe SA and MasterCard could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Business Services stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.