Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is Atmos Energy (ATO) one of those stocks right now? 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 a member of our Utilities group, which includes 109 different companies and currently sits at #3 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 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. Atmos Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ATO's full-year earnings has moved 2.7% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
Based on the most recent data, ATO has returned 23.3% so far this year. In comparison, Utilities companies have returned an average of 21.2%. As we can see, Atmos Energy is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
One other Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is MYR Group (MYRG). The stock is up 46% year-to-date.
In MYR Group's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 2.1% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
To break things down more, Atmos Energy belongs to the Utility - Gas Distribution industry, a group that includes 14 individual companies and currently sits at #157 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 13.7% so far this year, so ATO is performing better in this area.
On the other hand, MYR Group belongs to the Electric Construction industry. This 1-stock industry is currently ranked #1. The industry has moved +46% year to date.
Investors interested in the Utilities sector may want to keep a close eye on Atmos Energy and MYR Group as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
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Atmos Energy Corporation (ATO): Free Stock Analysis Report MYR Group, Inc. (MYRG): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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