For those looking to find strong Consumer Discretionary stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Laureate Education (LAUR) 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? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Consumer Discretionary peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Laureate Education is one of 267 companies in the Consumer Discretionary group. The Consumer Discretionary group currently sits at #9 within 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 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. Laureate Education is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for LAUR's full-year earnings has moved 9.4% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Our latest available data shows that LAUR has returned about 9% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Consumer Discretionary sector has returned an average of 3.2% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Laureate Education is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another stock in the Consumer Discretionary sector, Lionsgate Studios Corp. (LION), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 12.1%.

In Lionsgate Studios Corp.'s case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 113.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, Laureate Education is a member of the Schools industry, which includes 18 individual companies and currently sits at #36 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 5.4% so far this year, meaning that LAUR is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Lionsgate Studios Corp. falls under the Media Conglomerates industry. Currently, this industry has 13 stocks and is ranked #85. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +3.3%.

Laureate Education and Lionsgate Studios Corp. could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Consumer Discretionary stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.

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

Laureate Education (LAUR) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Lionsgate Studios Corp. (LION) : Free Stock Analysis Report

This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

Zacks Investment Research