Investors interested in Consumer Staples stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has Marine Harvest ASA (MHGVY) 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 Staples sector should help us answer this question.

Marine Harvest ASA is a member of the Consumer Staples sector. This group includes 180 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #14. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.

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. Marine Harvest ASA is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MHGVY's full-year earnings has moved 4.1% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the most recent data, MHGVY has returned 14% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Consumer Staples group have lost about 1.5% on average. This shows that Marine Harvest ASA is outperforming its peers so far this year.

One other Consumer Staples stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is New York Times Co. (NYT). The stock is up 7.4% year-to-date.

The consensus estimate for New York Times Co.'s current year EPS has increased 0.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, Marine Harvest ASA is a member of the Food - Miscellaneous industry, which includes 43 individual companies and currently sits at #198 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 4.9% so far this year, so MHGVY is performing better in this area.

On the other hand, New York Times Co. belongs to the Publishing - Newspapers industry. This 2-stock industry is currently ranked #215. The industry has moved +4.2% year to date.

Investors interested in the Consumer Staples sector may want to keep a close eye on Marine Harvest ASA and New York Times Co. as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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