Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Centrica PLC (CPYYY) 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? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.
Centrica PLC is a member of the Utilities sector. This group includes 110 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 is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Centrica PLC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for CPYYY's full-year earnings has moved 19.2% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
According to our latest data, CPYYY has moved about 23.7% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, the Utilities sector has returned an average of 7.3% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Centrica PLC is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.
Another Utilities stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is MYR Group (MYRG). The stock has returned 108.4% year-to-date.
The consensus estimate for MYR Group's current year EPS has increased 27.3% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Centrica PLC belongs to the Utility - Gas Distribution industry, which includes 13 individual stocks and currently sits at #171 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 5.9% this year, meaning that CPYYY is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
On the other hand, MYR Group belongs to the Electric Construction industry. This 2-stock industry is currently ranked #10. The industry has moved -58.1% year to date.
Centrica PLC and MYR Group could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Utilities stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.
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Centrica PLC (CPYYY): Free Stock Analysis Report
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).