Investors interested in Oils-Energy stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Cheniere Energy (LNG) 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 Oils-Energy sector should help us answer this question.

Cheniere Energy is one of 250 individual stocks in the Oils-Energy sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #9 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 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. Cheniere Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for LNG's full-year earnings has moved 9.4% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Our latest available data shows that LNG has returned about 13.1% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Oils-Energy companies have returned an average of 8.3%. As we can see, Cheniere Energy is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Another Oils-Energy stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Talen Energy Corporation (TLN). The stock has returned 9.3% year-to-date.

Over the past three months, Talen Energy Corporation's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 0.9%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, Cheniere Energy belongs to the Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - United States industry, which includes 34 individual stocks and currently sits at #147 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 16.5% so far this year, meaning that LNG is slightly underperforming its industry in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Talen Energy Corporation belongs to the Alternative Energy - Other industry. This 46-stock industry is currently ranked #72. The industry has moved +73.3% year to date.

Investors with an interest in Oils-Energy stocks should continue to track Cheniere Energy and Talen Energy Corporation. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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