Investors interested in Medical stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVIR) 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? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Medical peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is a member of our Medical group, which includes 1015 different companies and currently sits at #6 in the Zacks Sector Rank. 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. Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AVIR's full-year earnings has moved 20.5% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Our latest available data shows that AVIR has returned about 12.8% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Medical group have gained about 8.7% on average. This means that Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another Medical stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is PetIQ (PETQ). The stock has returned 55.7% year-to-date.

In PetIQ's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 4.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. belongs to the Medical - Biomedical and Genetics industry, a group that includes 495 individual stocks and currently sits at #89 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 0.5% so far this year, so AVIR is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, PetIQ falls under the Medical - Products industry. Currently, this industry has 88 stocks and is ranked #69. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +13.7%.

Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and PetIQ could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Medical stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.

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

Atea Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (AVIR) : Free Stock Analysis Report

PetIQ, Inc. (PETQ) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research