Is Atmos Energy (ATO) Outperforming Other Utilities Stocks This Year?

The Utilities group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Atmos Energy (ATO) 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.Atmos Energy is a member of our Utilities group, which includes 110 different companies and currently sits at #6 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.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. Atmos Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ATO's full-year earnings has moved 2.5% higher within the past quarter. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.Based on the latest available data, ATO has gained about 9.1% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Utilities group have gained about 8.1% on average. This means that Atmos Energy is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.Another stock in the Utilities sector, Southwest Gas (SWX), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 10.9%.The consensus estimate for Southwest Gas' current year EPS has increased 1.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Breaking things down more, Atmos Energy is a member of the Utility - Gas Distribution industry, which includes 13 individual companies and currently sits at #63 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 7.1% this year, meaning that ATO is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns. Southwest Gas is also part of the same industry.Investors with an interest in Utilities stocks should continue to track Atmos Energy and Southwest Gas. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is HereThe AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. Little-known AI firms tackling the world's biggest problems may be more lucrative in the coming months and years.See Stocks Now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks