Are Utilities Stocks Lagging Koninklijke KPN (KKPNF) This Year?

The Utilities group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Is Koninklijke KPN NV (KKPNF) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.Koninklijke KPN NV is a member of the Utilities sector. This group includes 108 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #4. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.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. Koninklijke KPN NV is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for KKPNF's full-year earnings has moved 3.8% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.Our latest available data shows that KKPNF has returned about 28% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Utilities companies have returned an average of 11.8%. As we can see, Koninklijke KPN NV is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.Another Utilities stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is National Grid (NGG). The stock has returned 20.9% year-to-date.For National Grid, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 9.1% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Looking more specifically, Koninklijke KPN NV belongs to the Diversified Communication Services industry, which includes 19 individual stocks and currently sits at #28 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 15.3% so far this year, so KKPNF is performing better in this area. In contrast, National Grid falls under the Utility - Electric Power industry. Currently, this industry has 59 stocks and is ranked #73. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +12.4%.Investors interested in the Utilities sector may want to keep a close eye on Koninklijke KPN NV and National Grid as they attempt to continue their solid performance.Zacks Names #1 Semiconductor StockThis under-the-radar company specializes in semiconductor products that titans like NVIDIA don't build. It's uniquely positioned to take advantage of the next growth stage of this market. And it's just beginning to enter the spotlight, which is exactly where you want to be.With strong earnings growth and an expanding customer base, it's positioned to feed the rampant demand for Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things. Global semiconductor manufacturing is projected to explode from $452 billion in 2021 to $971 billion by 2028.See This Stock Now for Free >>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 Koninklijke KPN NV (KKPNF): Free Stock Analysis Report National Grid Transco, PLC (NGG): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks