The industrial products sector has a large number of outstanding stocks, but investors should always look for companies that outperform their peers. Gate is a stock that can certainly capture the attention of many investors, but how does its recent performance compare to that of the sector as a whole? A quick look at the company's performance so far this year compared to the rest of the industrial products sector should help us answer this question.

Gate is part of the industrial products sector. This group includes 189 individual stocks and currently ranks second in the Zacks sector ranking. The Zacks sector ranking considers 16 different sector groups. It measures the average Zacks ranking of individual stocks within the groups, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.

The Zacks ranking system emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings prospects. This system has a long history of success, and these stocks tend to outperform the market in the next one to three months. Gate currently holds a Zacks ranking of #2 (Buy).

Over the last 90 days, the consensus estimate from Zacks for Gate's full-year earnings has increased by 0.9%. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

According to our most recent data, Gate has advanced about 12.7% so far this year. In comparison, industrial product companies have achieved an average return of 7.1%. This means that Gate is outperforming its sector in terms of returns for the year.

Another action from the industrial products sector, Fastenal (FAST), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's performance year-to-date is 32.2%.

In the last three months, the consensus EPS estimate for Fastenal for the current year has increased by 2.1%. The stock currently has a Zacks ranking of #2 (Buy).

To break things down further, Gate belongs to the general industrial manufacturing industry, a group that includes 41 individual companies and is currently ranked #59 in the Zacks industry rankings. On average, this group has gained 5.9% year-to-date, which means that Gate is performing better in terms of returns year-to-date.

On the other hand, Fastenal belongs to the industrial services industry. This industry of 18 stocks currently ranks #42. The industry has advanced by 4.8% year-to-date.

Investors interested in industrial product stocks should closely follow Gate and Fastenal. These stocks will seek to continue their strong performance.