Is Deutsche Telekom (DTEGY) Outperforming Other Utilities Stocks This Year?

For those looking to find strong Utilities stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is Deutsche Telekom AG (DTEGY) one of those stocks right now? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Utilities sector should help us answer this question.Deutsche Telekom AG is one of 104 individual stocks in the Utilities sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #6 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.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. Deutsche Telekom AG is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for DTEGY's full-year earnings has moved 7.9% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.Based on the most recent data, DTEGY has returned 23.4% so far this year. In comparison, Utilities companies have returned an average of 4.6%. This means that Deutsche Telekom AG is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.One other Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Telefonica (TEF). The stock is up 17.7% year-to-date.In Telefonica's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 1.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Breaking things down more, Deutsche Telekom AG is a member of the Diversified Communication Services industry, which includes 14 individual companies and currently sits at #76 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 6.1% so far this year, so DTEGY is performing better in this area. Telefonica is also part of the same industry.Going forward, investors interested in Utilities stocks should continue to pay close attention to Deutsche Telekom AG and Telefonica as they could maintain their solid performance.7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 DaysJust released: Experts distill 7 elite stocks from the current list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys. They deem these tickers "Most Likely for Early Price Pops."Since 1988, the full list has beaten the market more than 2X over with an average gain of +24.3% per year. So be sure to give these hand picked 7 your immediate attention. See them now >>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 Deutsche Telekom AG (DTEGY): Free Stock Analysis Report Telefonica SA (TEF): 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