Investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Has Fresnillo PLC (FNLPF) 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 Basic Materials sector should help us answer this question.

Fresnillo PLC is a member of the Basic Materials sector. This group includes 233 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #11. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

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. Fresnillo PLC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for FNLPF's full-year earnings has moved 54.3% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the latest available data, FNLPF has gained about 19.8% so far this year. In comparison, Basic Materials companies have returned an average of 8.1%. This means that Fresnillo PLC is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Another stock in the Basic Materials sector, Flexible Solutions International Inc. (FSI), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 82.3%.

The consensus estimate for Flexible Solutions International Inc.'s current year EPS has increased 12.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Fresnillo PLC belongs to the Mining - Silver industry, a group that includes 9 individual stocks and currently sits at #11 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 18.6% so far this year, so FNLPF is performing better in this area.

Flexible Solutions International Inc. however, belongs to the Chemical - Specialty industry. Currently, this 33-stock industry is ranked #203. The industry has moved +6.5% so far this year.

Going forward, investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should continue to pay close attention to Fresnillo PLC and Flexible Solutions International Inc. as they could maintain their solid performance.

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