Investors interested in Industrial Products stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Esco Technologies (ESE) 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? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Industrial Products peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Esco Technologies is one of 189 companies in the Industrial Products group. The Industrial Products group currently sits at #10 within the Zacks Sector Rank. 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 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. Esco Technologies is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ESE's full-year earnings has moved 6.5% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Our latest available data shows that ESE has returned about 38.2% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Industrial Products sector has returned an average of -0.3% on a year-to-date basis. This shows that Esco Technologies is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another stock in the Industrial Products sector, Kion Group (KIGRY), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 51.9%.

Over the past three months, Kion Group's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 25.4%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Esco Technologies belongs to the Manufacturing - Electronics industry, which includes 17 individual stocks and currently sits at #74 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 7.2% so far this year, so ESE is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Kion Group falls under the Industrial Services industry. Currently, this industry has 18 stocks and is ranked #137. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -6.9%.

Investors with an interest in Industrial Products stocks should continue to track Esco Technologies and Kion Group. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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

ESCO Technologies Inc. (ESE) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Kion Group (KIGRY) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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

Zacks Investment Research