The Consumer Staples group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Is Coca-Cola European (CCEP) one of those stocks right now? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Consumer Staples sector should help us answer this question.

Coca-Cola European is a member of the Consumer Staples sector. This group includes 183 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #12. 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. Coca-Cola European is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for CCEP's full-year earnings has moved 2.5% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the most recent data, CCEP has returned 15.6% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Consumer Staples sector has returned an average of 6.4% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Coca-Cola European is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another Consumer Staples stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Henkel AG & Co. (HENKY). The stock has returned 13.2% year-to-date.

Over the past three months, Henkel AG & Co.'s consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 6.4%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Coca-Cola European belongs to the Beverages - Soft drinks industry, which includes 14 individual stocks and currently sits at #87 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 7.6% so far this year, so CCEP is performing better in this area.

Henkel AG & Co. however, belongs to the Soap and Cleaning Materials industry. Currently, this 7-stock industry is ranked #43. The industry has moved +19.3% so far this year.

Investors with an interest in Consumer Staples stocks should continue to track Coca-Cola European and Henkel AG & Co. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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