For those looking to find strong Industrial Products stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Mitsui & Co. (MITSY) 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? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Industrial Products sector should help us answer this question.

Mitsui & Co. is a member of our Industrial Products group, which includes 219 different companies and currently sits at #13 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Mitsui & Co. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MITSY's full-year earnings has moved 7.1% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the latest available data, MITSY has gained about 10.4% so far this year. In comparison, Industrial Products companies have returned an average of 8.6%. As we can see, Mitsui & Co. is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Schneider Electric SE (SBGSY) is another Industrial Products stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 26.2%.

The consensus estimate for Schneider Electric SE's current year EPS has increased 5.6% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Mitsui & Co. belongs to the Metal Products - Distribution industry, which includes 3 individual stocks and currently sits at #89 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 4.3% so far this year, so MITSY is performing better in this area.

On the other hand, Schneider Electric SE belongs to the Manufacturing - Electronics industry. This 16-stock industry is currently ranked #26. The industry has moved +8.8% year to date.

Investors interested in the Industrial Products sector may want to keep a close eye on Mitsui & Co. and Schneider Electric SE as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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