For those looking to find strong Oils-Energy stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is Baytex Energy (BTE) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

Baytex Energy is a member of the Oils-Energy sector. This group includes 247 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #13. 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. Baytex Energy is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BTE's full-year earnings has moved 5.1% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the most recent data, BTE has returned 5.7% so far this year. At the same time, Oils-Energy stocks have gained an average of 3.9%. As we can see, Baytex Energy is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Another stock in the Oils-Energy sector, Northern Oil and Gas (NOG), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 5.3%.

The consensus estimate for Northern Oil and Gas' current year EPS has increased 0.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Baytex Energy belongs to the Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - Canadian industry, a group that includes 9 individual stocks and currently sits at #64 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 7.1% so far this year, so BTE is slightly underperforming its industry this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Northern Oil and Gas belongs to the Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - United States industry. This 35-stock industry is currently ranked #174. The industry has moved +2.4% year to date.

Going forward, investors interested in Oils-Energy stocks should continue to pay close attention to Baytex Energy and Northern Oil and Gas as they could maintain their solid performance.

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