Investors interested in Oils-Energy stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Vaalco Energy (EGY) 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? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

Vaalco Energy is a member of the Oils-Energy sector. This group includes 243 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #16. 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. Vaalco Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for EGY's full-year earnings has moved 25.5% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the latest available data, EGY has gained about 31.4% so far this year. In comparison, Oils-Energy companies have returned an average of 6%. This means that Vaalco Energy is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

MPLX LP (MPLX) is another Oils-Energy stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 21.7%.

The consensus estimate for MPLX LP's current year EPS has increased 5.6% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Vaalco Energy belongs to the Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - International industry, which includes 10 individual stocks and currently sits at #177 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 24.3% so far this year, meaning that EGY is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, MPLX LP falls under the Oil and Gas - Production and Pipelines industry. Currently, this industry has 9 stocks and is ranked #103. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +21.4%.

Investors interested in the Oils-Energy sector may want to keep a close eye on Vaalco Energy and MPLX LP as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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