Investors interested in Aerospace stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Embraer (ERJ) 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 Aerospace sector should help us answer this question.

Embraer is a member of the Aerospace sector. This group includes 51 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #3. 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 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. Embraer is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ERJ's full-year earnings has moved 11.7% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the most recent data, ERJ has returned 32.2% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Aerospace sector has returned an average of 4.5% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Embraer is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Heico Corporation (HEI) is another Aerospace stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 13.1%.

Over the past three months, Heico Corporation's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 3.6%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

To break things down more, Embraer belongs to the Aerospace - Defense industry, a group that includes 24 individual companies and currently sits at #152 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 4.1% so far this year, meaning that ERJ is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Heico Corporation belongs to the Aerospace - Defense Equipment industry. This 26-stock industry is currently ranked #30. The industry has moved +4.6% year to date.

Investors with an interest in Aerospace stocks should continue to track Embraer and Heico Corporation. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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Embraer-Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica (ERJ) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Heico Corporation (HEI) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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

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