Investors interested in Oils-Energy stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has Braskem (BAK) been one of those stocks this year? 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.

Braskem is a member of our Oils-Energy group, which includes 247 different companies and currently sits at #3 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.

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

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BAK's full-year earnings has moved 118.7% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the most recent data, BAK has returned 18.1% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Oils-Energy group have gained about 3.4% on average. This means that Braskem is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

National Fuel Gas (NFG) is another Oils-Energy stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 19%.

For National Fuel Gas, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 16.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Breaking things down more, Braskem is a member of the Oil and Gas - Integrated - International industry, which includes 14 individual companies and currently sits at #137 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 3.7% so far this year, meaning that BAK is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

National Fuel Gas, however, belongs to the Oil and Gas - Integrated - United States industry. Currently, this 15-stock industry is ranked #74. The industry has moved +1.1% so far this year.

Going forward, investors interested in Oils-Energy stocks should continue to pay close attention to Braskem and National Fuel Gas as they could maintain their solid performance.

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

Story Continues

Braskem S.A. (BAK):Free Stock Analysis Report

National Fuel Gas Company (NFG):Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

View Comments