For those looking to find strong Oils-Energy stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is FuelCell Energy (FCEL) one of those stocks right now? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Oils-Energy sector should help us answer this question.
FuelCell Energy is a member of the Oils-Energy sector. This group includes 245 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #14. 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 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. FuelCell Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for FCEL's full-year earnings has moved 18.5% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.
Our latest available data shows that FCEL has returned about 13.2% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Oils-Energy group have gained about 6.2% on average. This shows that FuelCell Energy is outperforming its peers so far this year.
Another Oils-Energy stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is RGC Resources Inc. (RGCO). The stock has returned 9.5% year-to-date.
For RGC Resources Inc., the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 1.6% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Breaking things down more, FuelCell Energy is a member of the Alternative Energy - Other industry, which includes 43 individual companies and currently sits at #165 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 43.7% so far this year, so FCEL is slightly underperforming its industry in this area.
RGC Resources Inc., however, belongs to the Oil and Gas - Refining and Marketing industry. Currently, this 15-stock industry is ranked #26. The industry has moved +15.5% so far this year.
Investors interested in the Oils-Energy sector may want to keep a close eye on FuelCell Energy and RGC Resources Inc. as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
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FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCEL): Free Stock Analysis Report RGC Resources Inc. (RGCO): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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