The Auto-Tires-Trucks group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Is Blue Bird (BLBD) one of those stocks right now? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Auto-Tires-Trucks peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Blue Bird is a member of the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector. This group includes 102 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #10. 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. Blue Bird is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BLBD's full-year earnings has moved 7.4% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

According to our latest data, BLBD has moved about 57.4% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector has returned an average of 11.6% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Blue Bird is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another stock in the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector, Dorman Products (DORM), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 68.6%.

For Dorman Products, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 12.3% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Breaking things down more, Blue Bird is a member of the Automotive - Domestic industry, which includes 17 individual companies and currently sits at #126 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 26.2% this year, meaning that BLBD is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Dorman Products falls under the Automotive - Replacement Parts industry. Currently, this industry has 6 stocks and is ranked #80. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -15.9%.

Investors interested in the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector may want to keep a close eye on Blue Bird and Dorman Products as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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