The Consumer Staples group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Coca-Cola European (CCEP) 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 Consumer Staples peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Coca-Cola European is one of 184 companies in the Consumer Staples group. The Consumer Staples 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 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 0.8% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the latest available data, CCEP has gained about 16.8% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Consumer Staples group have gained about 6.9% on average. As we can see, Coca-Cola European is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Chefs' Warehouse (CHEF) is another Consumer Staples stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 34.3%.

Over the past three months, Chefs' Warehouse's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 4.8%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

To break things down more, Coca-Cola European belongs to the Beverages - Soft drinks industry, a group that includes 14 individual companies and currently sits at #211 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 6.8% this year, meaning that CCEP is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Chefs' Warehouse falls under the Food - Miscellaneous industry. Currently, this industry has 45 stocks and is ranked #82. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +2.2%.

Investors interested in the Consumer Staples sector may want to keep a close eye on Coca-Cola European and Chefs' Warehouse as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) : Free Stock Analysis Report

The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. (CHEF) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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