Investors interested in Retail-Wholesale stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Kingfisher PLC (KGFHY) 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 Retail-Wholesale sector should help us answer this question.

Kingfisher PLC is a member of our Retail-Wholesale group, which includes 208 different companies and currently sits at #9 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 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. Kingfisher PLC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for KGFHY's full-year earnings has moved 1.9% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the most recent data, KGFHY has returned 26.7% so far this year. At the same time, Retail-Wholesale stocks have lost an average of 1.8%. This shows that Kingfisher PLC is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another Retail-Wholesale stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Marks and Spencer Group PLC (MAKSY). The stock has returned 4.8% year-to-date.

Over the past three months, Marks and Spencer Group PLC's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 2.9%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Kingfisher PLC belongs to the Retail - Miscellaneous industry, a group that includes 17 individual stocks and currently sits at #73 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 13.7% so far this year, so KGFHY is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Marks and Spencer Group PLC belongs to the Retail - Supermarkets industry. This 9-stock industry is currently ranked #77. The industry has moved +10.1% year to date.

Investors interested in the Retail-Wholesale sector may want to keep a close eye on Kingfisher PLC and Marks and Spencer Group PLC as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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Kingfisher PLC (KGFHY):Free Stock Analysis Report

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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