For those looking to find strong Transportation stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Greenbrier Companies (GBX) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Transportation peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Greenbrier Companies is a member of our Transportation group, which includes 135 different companies and currently sits at #11 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).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GBX's full-year earnings has moved 18.2% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

According to our latest data, GBX has moved about 53% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Transportation companies have returned an average of 0.6%. This means that Greenbrier Companies is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

One other Transportation stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Southwest Airlines (LUV). The stock is up 14.3% year-to-date.

The consensus estimate for Southwest Airlines' current year EPS has increased 237.4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

To break things down more, Greenbrier Companies belongs to the Transportation - Equipment and Leasing industry, a group that includes 9 individual companies and currently sits at #38 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 47.3% so far this year, so GBX is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Southwest Airlines belongs to the Transportation - Airline industry. This 31-stock industry is currently ranked #27. The industry has moved +30.9% year to date.

Investors with an interest in Transportation stocks should continue to track Greenbrier Companies and Southwest Airlines. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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