The Industrial Products group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Has Esab (ESAB) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Industrial Products peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Esab is a member of our Industrial Products group, which includes 213 different companies and currently sits at #14 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. Esab is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ESAB's full-year earnings has moved 1.9% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

According to our latest data, ESAB has moved about 41.4% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Industrial Products companies have returned an average of 11.8%. This means that Esab is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Generac Holdings (GNRC) is another Industrial Products stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 32.1%.

For Generac Holdings, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 4.3% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Esab belongs to the Metal Products - Procurement and Fabrication industry, a group that includes 11 individual stocks and currently sits at #149 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 38.5% so far this year, so ESAB is performing better in this area.

On the other hand, Generac Holdings belongs to the Manufacturing - General Industrial industry. This 42-stock industry is currently ranked #136. The industry has moved +9.7% year to date.

Investors interested in the Industrial Products sector may want to keep a close eye on Esab and Generac Holdings as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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