For those looking to find strong Utilities stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Atmos Energy (ATO) been one of those stocks this year? 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.

Atmos Energy is a member of the Utilities sector. This group includes 105 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. Atmos Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ATO's full-year earnings has moved 0.1% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

According to our latest data, ATO has moved about 18.5% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, the Utilities sector has returned an average of 17.6% on a year-to-date basis. This shows that Atmos Energy is outperforming its peers so far this year.

One other Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Entergy (ETR). The stock is up 28.5% year-to-date.

Over the past three months, Entergy's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 0%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, Atmos Energy is a member of the Utility - Gas Distribution industry, which includes 14 individual companies and currently sits at #83 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 14.4% so far this year, so ATO is performing better in this area.

In contrast, Entergy falls under the Utility - Electric Power industry. Currently, this industry has 59 stocks and is ranked #39. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +21.6%.

Going forward, investors interested in Utilities stocks should continue to pay close attention to Atmos Energy and Entergy as they could maintain their solid performance.

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