Is Atmos Energy (ATO) Stock Outpacing Its Utilities Peers This Year?

The Utilities group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Has Atmos Energy (ATO) been one of those stocks this year? 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.Atmos Energy is one of 108 individual stocks in the Utilities sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #5 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 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).Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ATO's full-year earnings has moved 2.4% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.According to our latest data, ATO has moved about 19.1% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, stocks in the Utilities group have gained about 13.3% on average. This shows that Atmos Energy is outperforming its peers so far this year.Enel SpA (ENLAY) is another Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 30.8%.For Enel SpA, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 11.9% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Breaking things down more, Atmos Energy is a member of the Utility - Gas Distribution industry, which includes 14 individual companies and currently sits at #154 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 4.4% so far this year, so ATO is performing better in this area. Enel SpA, however, belongs to the Utility - Electric Power industry. Currently, this 59-stock industry is ranked #74. The industry has moved +12.9% so far this year.Atmos Energy and Enel SpA could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Utilities stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.3 Stocks Poised to Lead the AI Software RaceThe software market is expected to witness a remarkable growth trajectory worldwide. Advancements in AI, increased demand for cybersecurity, and the rapid expansion of automation and robotics is offering investors an opportunity to unlock significant growth right now.Which software stocks will soar? Which will fizzle out? Find out in our urgent special report, Software is Eating the World. It examines where the software industry stands now and reveals three favorite software stocks to ownAccess the report free today >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO): Free Stock Analysis Report Enel SpA (ENLAY): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks