Are Utilities Stocks Lagging Telefonica (TEF) This Year?

Group 1 - Telefonica (TEF) is a notable stock in the Utilities sector, which consists of 106 individual stocks and holds a Zacks Sector Rank of 2 [2][3] - The Zacks Rank system identifies stocks with characteristics likely to outperform the market in the short term, with Telefonica currently rated as a Buy [3] - Over the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Telefonica's full-year earnings has increased by 29.5%, indicating improved analyst sentiment [4] Group 2 - Telefonica has achieved a year-to-date performance increase of 25.1%, significantly outperforming the average Utilities sector gain of 9% [4] - United Utilities Group PLC (UUGRY) is another Utilities stock that has outperformed the sector, with a year-to-date increase of 14.1% [5] - Telefonica is part of the Diversified Communication Services industry, which has gained an average of 9% this year, while United Utilities belongs to the Utility - Electric Power industry, which has increased by 9.4% [6]