For those looking to find strong Oils-Energy stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is Eni SpA (E) one of those stocks right now? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Oils-Energy sector should help us answer this question.

Eni SpA is a member of the Oils-Energy sector. This group includes 247 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #8. 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. Eni SpA is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for E's full-year earnings has moved 5% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the latest available data, E has gained about 8.3% so far this year. In comparison, Oils-Energy companies have returned an average of -2%. This shows that Eni SpA is outperforming its peers so far this year.

One other Oils-Energy stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Nine Energy Service (NINE). The stock is up 6.3% year-to-date.

Over the past three months, Nine Energy Service's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 20%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, Eni SpA belongs to the Oil and Gas - Integrated - International industry, a group that includes 14 individual companies and currently sits at #147 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 5.2% so far this year, meaning that E is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Nine Energy Service falls under the Oil and Gas - Field Services industry. Currently, this industry has 22 stocks and is ranked #83. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -3.2%.

Going forward, investors interested in Oils-Energy stocks should continue to pay close attention to Eni SpA and Nine Energy Service as they could maintain their solid performance.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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