The Utilities group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Empresa (EDN) 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.

Empresa is one of 105 companies in the Utilities group. The Utilities group currently sits at #5 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.

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. Empresa is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EDN's full-year earnings has moved 60.6% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

According to our latest data, EDN has moved about 20.2% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, the Utilities sector has returned an average of 14.9% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Empresa is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Pampa Energia (PAM) is another Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 19.1%.

For Pampa Energia, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 20.6% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

To break things down more, Empresa belongs to the Utility - Electric Power industry, a group that includes 59 individual companies and currently sits at #48 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 18.7% so far this year, so EDN is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns. Pampa Energia is also part of the same industry.

Investors interested in the Utilities sector may want to keep a close eye on Empresa and Pampa Energia as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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

Empresa Distribuidora Y Comercializadora Norte S.A. (Edenor) (EDN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Pampa Energia S.A. (PAM) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research