Are Oils-Energy Stocks Lagging Weatherford International (WFRD) This Year?

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For those looking to find strong Oils-Energy stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Weatherford (WFRD) 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? 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.

Weatherford is one of 246 companies in the Oils-Energy group. The Oils-Energy group currently sits at #1 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.

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

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for WFRD's full-year earnings has moved 12.2% 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, WFRD has moved about 79.6% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, the Oils-Energy sector has returned an average of 1.2% on a year-to-date basis. As we can see, Weatherford is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

One other Oils-Energy stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is YPF Sociedad Anonima (YPF). The stock is up 13.7% year-to-date.

For YPF Sociedad Anonima, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 3.3% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, Weatherford is a member of the Oil and Gas - Field Services industry, which includes 22 individual companies and currently sits at #80 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 12.4% so far this year, so WFRD is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, YPF Sociedad Anonima belongs to the Oil and Gas - Integrated - International industry. This 15-stock industry is currently ranked #36. The industry has moved -0.4% year to date.

Investors interested in the Oils-Energy sector may want to keep a close eye on Weatherford and YPF Sociedad Anonima as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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