Are Utilities Stocks Lagging CMS Energy (CMS) This Year?

For those looking to find strong Utilities stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. CMS Energy (CMS) 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 Utilities sector should help us answer this question.CMS Energy is a member of our Utilities group, which includes 110 different companies and currently sits at #4 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 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. CMS Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for CMS' full-year earnings has moved 0.2% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.Based on the most recent data, CMS has returned 14.3% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Utilities group have gained about 12.4% on average. This shows that CMS Energy is outperforming its peers so far this year.One other Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is ONE Gas (OGS). The stock is up 17.3% year-to-date.In ONE Gas' case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 0.9% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).To break things down more, CMS Energy belongs to the Utility - Electric Power industry, a group that includes 60 individual companies and currently sits at #73 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 13.7% this year, meaning that CMS is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns. In contrast, ONE Gas falls under the Utility - Gas Distribution industry. Currently, this industry has 13 stocks and is ranked #85. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +12.4%.Going forward, investors interested in Utilities stocks should continue to pay close attention to CMS Energy and ONE Gas as they could maintain their solid performance.Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockThis under-the-radar company specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. And it's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $971 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks