For those looking to find strong Consumer Discretionary stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has H&R Block (HRB) been one of those stocks this year? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

H&R Block is a member of our Consumer Discretionary group, which includes 272 different companies and currently sits at #10 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

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. H&R Block is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for HRB's full-year earnings has moved 9.7% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the most recent data, HRB has returned 25% so far this year. In comparison, Consumer Discretionary companies have returned an average of 4.3%. This shows that H&R Block is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another Consumer Discretionary stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Laureate Education (LAUR). The stock has returned 14.7% year-to-date.

For Laureate Education, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 1.9% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, H&R Block belongs to the Consumer Services - Miscellaneous industry, which includes 11 individual stocks and currently sits at #98 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 3.6% so far this year, so HRB is performing better in this area.

Laureate Education, however, belongs to the Schools industry. Currently, this 17-stock industry is ranked #56. The industry has moved +1.4% so far this year.

Investors with an interest in Consumer Discretionary stocks should continue to track H&R Block and Laureate Education. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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