Investors interested in Consumer Discretionary stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has American Outdoor Brands, Inc. (AOUT) 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 Consumer Discretionary sector should help us answer this question.

American Outdoor Brands, Inc. is one of 272 companies in the Consumer Discretionary group. The Consumer Discretionary group currently sits at #9 within the Zacks Sector Rank. 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. American Outdoor Brands, Inc. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AOUT's full-year earnings has moved 16.7% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the latest available data, AOUT has gained about 10.1% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Consumer Discretionary sector has returned an average of 5.9% on a year-to-date basis. This means that American Outdoor Brands, Inc. is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

One other Consumer Discretionary stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Atour Lifestyle Holdings Limited Sponsored ADR (ATAT). The stock is up 52.5% year-to-date.

Over the past three months, Atour Lifestyle Holdings Limited Sponsored ADR's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 10.9%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, American Outdoor Brands, Inc. belongs to the Leisure and Recreation Products industry, which includes 25 individual stocks and currently sits at #65 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 11.5% so far this year, meaning that AOUT is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Atour Lifestyle Holdings Limited Sponsored ADR, however, belongs to the Leisure and Recreation Services industry. Currently, this 31-stock industry is ranked #98. The industry has moved +13.1% so far this year.

Investors with an interest in Consumer Discretionary stocks should continue to track American Outdoor Brands, Inc. and Atour Lifestyle Holdings Limited Sponsored ADR. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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