The Industrial Products group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Hubbell (HUBB) 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 Industrial Products sector should help us answer this question.

Hubbell is one of 213 individual stocks in the Industrial Products sector. Collectively, these companies sit 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 model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. Hubbell is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for HUBB's full-year earnings has moved 0.1% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Our latest available data shows that HUBB has returned about 27.4% since the start of the calendar year. At the same time, Industrial Products stocks have gained an average of 8.6%. This means that Hubbell is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

One other Industrial Products stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Powell Industries (POWL). The stock is up 156.9% year-to-date.

For Powell Industries, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 10.1% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, Hubbell belongs to the Manufacturing - Electrical Utilities industry, which includes 1 individual stocks and currently sits at #2 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 27.4% this year, meaning that HUBB is performing on par in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Powell Industries belongs to the Manufacturing - Electronics industry. This 16-stock industry is currently ranked #139. The industry has moved +12.6% year to date.

Investors with an interest in Industrial Products stocks should continue to track Hubbell and Powell Industries. 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

Hubbell Inc (HUBB) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Powell Industries, Inc. (POWL) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research