Is First Solar (FSLR) Stock Outpacing Its Oils-Energy Peers This Year?

For those looking to find strong Oils-Energy stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has First Solar (FSLR) been one of those stocks this year? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.First Solar is a member of our Oils-Energy group, which includes 245 different companies and currently sits at #12 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. First Solar is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for FSLR's full-year earnings has moved 2.5% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.According to our latest data, FSLR has moved about 30.3% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Oils-Energy companies have returned an average of 6.4%. This shows that First Solar is outperforming its peers so far this year.One other Oils-Energy stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Cheniere Energy (LNG). The stock is up 8.6% year-to-date.For Cheniere Energy, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 16.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Looking more specifically, First Solar belongs to the Solar industry, which includes 14 individual stocks and currently sits at #46 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 26.1% so far this year, meaning that FSLR is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns. In contrast, Cheniere Energy falls under the Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - United States industry. Currently, this industry has 36 stocks and is ranked #226. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -20.8%.Going forward, investors interested in Oils-Energy stocks should continue to pay close attention to First Solar and Cheniere Energy as they could maintain their solid performance.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in the coming year. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +112%, +171%, +209% and +232%.Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>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 First Solar, Inc. (FSLR): Free Stock Analysis Report Cheniere Energy, Inc. (LNG): 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