Is LyondellBasell Industries (LYB) Stock Outpacing Its Basic Materials Peers This Year?

Investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is LyondellBasell (LYB) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.LyondellBasell is one of 275 individual stocks in the Basic Materials sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #8 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. LyondellBasell is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for LYB's full-year earnings has moved 139.5% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.Our latest available data shows that LYB has returned about 23.2% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Basic Materials companies have returned an average of 9.7%. This means that LyondellBasell is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.One other Basic Materials stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA (USNZY). The stock is up 56.2% year-to-date.Over the past three months, Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 154.5%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Looking more specifically, LyondellBasell belongs to the Chemical - Diversified industry, a group that includes 31 individual stocks and currently sits at #105 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 19% so far this year, meaning that LYB is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns. Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA, however, belongs to the Steel - Producers industry. Currently, this 17-stock industry is ranked #71. The industry has moved +23.6% so far this year.LyondellBasell and Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais SA could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is HereThe AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.See Stocks Now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks