Investors interested in Oils-Energy stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is Cheniere Energy (LNG) one of those stocks right now? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Oils-Energy peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Cheniere Energy is one of 242 companies in the Oils-Energy group. The Oils-Energy group currently sits at #16 within 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. Cheniere Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for LNG's full-year earnings has moved 18.9% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Our latest available data shows that LNG has returned about 6.6% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Oils-Energy sector has returned an average of 2.8% on a year-to-date basis. This shows that Cheniere Energy is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another Oils-Energy stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Williams Companies, Inc. (The) (WMB). The stock has returned 50.7% year-to-date.

In Williams Companies, Inc. (The)'s case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 3% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Cheniere Energy belongs to the Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - United States industry, which includes 34 individual stocks and currently sits at #227 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 3.1% this year, meaning that LNG is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Williams Companies, Inc. (The) falls under the Oil and Gas - Production and Pipelines industry. Currently, this industry has 9 stocks and is ranked #154. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +26%.

Investors interested in the Oils-Energy sector may want to keep a close eye on Cheniere Energy and Williams Companies, Inc. (The) as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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