Investors interested in Utilities stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Chesapeake Utilities (CPK) 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 Utilities peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Chesapeake Utilities is a member of the Utilities sector. This group includes 104 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #5. 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 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. Chesapeake Utilities is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CPK's full-year earnings has moved 0.3% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Our latest available data shows that CPK has returned about 3.8% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Utilities sector has returned an average of 3.8% on a year-to-date basis. As we can see, Chesapeake Utilities is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Energias de Portugal (EDPFY) is another Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 4%.

In Energias de Portugal's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 6.1% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, Chesapeake Utilities belongs to the Utility - Gas Distribution industry, a group that includes 13 individual stocks and currently sits at #72 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 6.8% this year, meaning that CPK is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Energias de Portugal, however, belongs to the Utility - Electric Power industry. Currently, this 60-stock industry is ranked #62. The industry has moved +4.8% so far this year.

Investors interested in the Utilities sector may want to keep a close eye on Chesapeake Utilities and Energias de Portugal as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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

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