Investors interested in Computer and Technology stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. ATN International (ATNI) 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 Computer and Technology sector should help us answer this question.

ATN International is one of 611 companies in the Computer and Technology group. The Computer and Technology group currently sits at #6 within 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 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. ATN International is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ATNI's full-year earnings has moved 63.7% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Our latest available data shows that ATNI has returned about 2.6% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Computer and Technology group have lost about 16.3% on average. This shows that ATN International is outperforming its peers so far this year.

InterDigital (IDCC) is another Computer and Technology stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 4.6%.

Over the past three months, InterDigital's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 57.2%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, ATN International belongs to the Wireless National industry, a group that includes 10 individual stocks and currently sits at #25 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 12.9% this year, meaning that ATNI is slightly underperforming its industry in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, InterDigital falls under the Wireless Equipment industry. Currently, this industry has 12 stocks and is ranked #56. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -6.4%.

ATN International and InterDigital could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Computer and Technology stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.

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

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