Investors interested in Transportation stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Greenbrier Companies (GBX) 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? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Transportation sector should help us answer this question.

Greenbrier Companies is one of 135 individual stocks in the Transportation sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #10 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. Greenbrier Companies is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for GBX's full-year earnings has moved 18.2% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

According to our latest data, GBX has moved about 54.1% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, stocks in the Transportation group have gained about 5.3% on average. This means that Greenbrier Companies is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another stock in the Transportation sector, Matson (MATX), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 39.7%.

The consensus estimate for Matson's current year EPS has increased 25.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, Greenbrier Companies belongs to the Transportation - Equipment and Leasing industry, which includes 9 individual stocks and currently sits at #35 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 49.7% this year, meaning that GBX is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Matson falls under the Transportation - Services industry. Currently, this industry has 26 stocks and is ranked #126. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -6.9%.

Investors with an interest in Transportation stocks should continue to track Greenbrier Companies and Matson. These stocks will be looking to continue 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

Greenbrier Companies, Inc. (The) (GBX) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Matson, Inc. (MATX) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research