The Industrial Products group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Century Aluminum (CENX) 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 Industrial Products sector should help us answer this question.

Century Aluminum is one of 213 individual stocks in the Industrial Products sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #13 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.

The Zacks Rank emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. Century Aluminum is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for CENX's full-year earnings has moved 700% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

According to our latest data, CENX has moved about 71.9% on a year-to-date basis. At the same time, Industrial Products stocks have gained an average of 11.3%. This means that Century Aluminum is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Another stock in the Industrial Products sector, Graham (GHM), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 133.1%.

Over the past three months, Graham's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 8.4%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, Century Aluminum belongs to the Metal Products - Procurement and Fabrication industry, a group that includes 12 individual stocks and currently sits at #65 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 41.2% this year, meaning that CENX is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Graham belongs to the Manufacturing - General Industrial industry. This 42-stock industry is currently ranked #128. The industry has moved +15.7% year to date.

Investors with an interest in Industrial Products stocks should continue to track Century Aluminum and Graham. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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Century Aluminum Company (CENX) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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