Noble Energy Inc. NBL hit a new 52-week high of $35.63 during yesterday’s trading session before closing a tad lower at $35.56. In a year’s time, the stock has delivered a return of 15.7% outperforming its industry’s rally of 10.0%. Over the past 52 weeks, Noble Energy’s share price has ranged from a low of $22.99 to a high of $35.63. The average volume of shares traded over the past three months is approximately 4.65 million.What’s Driving the Rally?Noble Energy’s shares have been on the rise following first-quarter 2018 results, declared on May 1. The company posted first-quarter earnings of 35 cents per share, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 25.0%. Moreover, revenues also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.3%.Noble Energy has been a consistent performer, having delivered positive earnings surprise in each of the last four quarters, resulting in an average of 237.02%.Noble Energy is currently focusing on its best-return assets. Thanks to the expected robust performance from its high-quality assets, Noble Energy revised its 2018 sales volume upward to the range of 350-360 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (MBoe/d), up from the prior range of 343-353 MBoe/d.Solid production from Noble Energy’s organic and inorganic assets and increasing demand from both international and domestic assets have been driving its results. Noble will invest nearly 70% of its planned capital expenditure for 2018 on its U.S. onshore assets.Thanks to its strong performance, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2018 and 2019 has moved up to $1.11 and $1.64, respectively, in the past 60 days. The 2018 and 2019 earnings estimates increased 24.7% and 20.6%, respectively, in the same time frame.Zacks Rank and Stocks to ConsiderNoble Energy currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).Some better-ranked stocks from the same space worth considering are Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc. BCEI, WildHorse Resource Development Corporation WRD and GeoPark Limited GPRK, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Bonanza Creek Energy reported a positive earnings surprise of 50.70% in the last reported quarter. Its 2018 and 2019 estimates have moved up 14.5% and 43.9%, respectively, in the past 60 days.WildHorse Resource Development delivered a positive earnings surprise of 32.35% in the last reported quarter. Its 2018 and 2019 estimates have moved up 17.7% and 27.9%, respectively, over the past 60 days.GeoPark Limited’s 2018 and 2019 earnings estimates have moved up 65.3% and 25.8%, respectively, in the past 60 days.Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars?Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge.With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research.It's not the one you think.See This Ticker Free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Noble Energy Inc. (NBL): Free Stock Analysis Report Bonanza Creek Energy, Inc. (BCEI): Free Stock Analysis Report Geopark Ltd (GPRK): Free Stock Analysis Report Wildhorse Resource Development Corporation (WRD): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.