Investors interested in Transportation stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has Allegiant Travel (ALGT) 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 Transportation sector should help us answer this question.

Allegiant Travel is a member of the Transportation sector. This group includes 131 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #15. 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 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. Allegiant Travel is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALGT's full-year earnings has moved 6% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the latest available data, ALGT has gained about 3.3% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Transportation sector has returned an average of -3.5% on a year-to-date basis. This shows that Allegiant Travel is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. (CPCAY) is another Transportation stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 5.3%.

In Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd.'s case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 22.4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, Allegiant Travel belongs to the Transportation - Airline industry, a group that includes 28 individual stocks and currently sits at #26 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 33.9% so far this year, meaning that ALGT is slightly underperforming its industry in terms of year-to-date returns. Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. is also part of the same industry.

Investors interested in the Transportation sector may want to keep a close eye on Allegiant Travel and Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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