Investors interested in Industrial Products stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. IHI CORP (IHICY) 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 Industrial Products peers, we might be able to answer that question.

IHI CORP is a member of our Industrial Products group, which includes 212 different companies and currently sits at #12 in 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 is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. IHI CORP is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for IHICY's full-year earnings has moved 34.6% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

According to our latest data, IHICY has moved about 209.3% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Industrial Products companies have returned an average of 22.4%. This shows that IHI CORP is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another stock in the Industrial Products sector, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHVYF), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 159.9%.

Over the past three months, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.'s consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 1.7%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, IHI CORP belongs to the Manufacturing - General Industrial industry, which includes 42 individual stocks and currently sits at #129 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 20.3% this year, meaning that IHICY is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. is also part of the same industry.

Going forward, investors interested in Industrial Products stocks should continue to pay close attention to IHI CORP and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. as they could maintain their solid performance.

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