For those looking to find strong Construction stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Anhui Conch Cement Co. (AHCHY) been one of those stocks this year? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

Anhui Conch Cement Co. is one of 88 individual stocks in the Construction sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #11 in 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. Anhui Conch Cement Co. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AHCHY's full-year earnings has moved 10% higher within the past quarter. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the latest available data, AHCHY has gained about 22.8% so far this year. In comparison, Construction companies have returned an average of 22.3%. This means that Anhui Conch Cement Co. is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

CRH (CRH) is another Construction stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 30.2%.

Over the past three months, CRH's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 2.2%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Anhui Conch Cement Co. belongs to the Building Products - Concrete and Aggregates industry, which includes 8 individual stocks and currently sits at #235 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 4.7% this year, meaning that AHCHY is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, CRH falls under the Building Products - Miscellaneous industry. Currently, this industry has 27 stocks and is ranked #63. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +22.1%.

Investors interested in the Construction sector may want to keep a close eye on Anhui Conch Cement Co. and CRH as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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