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The Utilities group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Has Southwest Gas (SWX) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Utilities peers, we might be able to answer that question.
Southwest Gas is a member of the Utilities sector. This group includes 106 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #1. 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. Southwest Gas is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for SWX's full-year earnings has moved 2.2% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
Based on the latest available data, SWX has gained about 3.6% so far this year. In comparison, Utilities companies have returned an average of 1.5%. As we can see, Southwest Gas is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
One other Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Tele2 (TLTZY). The stock is up 35.8% year-to-date.
Over the past three months, Tele2's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 10.7%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Southwest Gas belongs to the Utility - Gas Distribution industry, a group that includes 14 individual stocks and currently sits at #80 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 5.1% so far this year, meaning that SWX is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).