Is Avista (AVA) Outperforming Other Utilities Stocks This Year?

Group 1 - Avista (AVA) is outperforming the Utilities sector with a year-to-date return of 12.6%, compared to the sector's average gain of 5.8% [4] - The Zacks Rank for Avista is 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook, with a 3.4% increase in the consensus earnings estimate over the past 90 days [3] - Avista is part of the Utility - Electric Power industry, which has gained an average of 6.4% this year, further highlighting its strong performance [5] Group 2 - American Water Works (AWK) is another Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector, with a year-to-date return of 17.3% [4] - The consensus EPS estimate for American Water Works has increased by 0.4% over the past three months, and it also holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5] - The Utility - Water Supply industry, which includes American Water Works, has moved up by 18.3% since the beginning of the year [6]