Investors focused on the Oils-Energy space have likely heard of Valero Energy (VLO), but is the stock performing well in comparison to the rest of its sector peers? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Oils-Energy peers, we might be able to answer that question.Valero Energy is one of 296 individual stocks in the Oils-Energy sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #8 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.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. VLO is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for VLO's full-year earnings has moved 4.89% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.Our latest available data shows that VLO has returned about 1.87% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Oils-Energy sector has returned an average of 0.31% on a year-to-date basis. As we can see, Valero Energy is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.Looking more specifically, VLO belongs to the Oil and Gas - Refining and Marketing industry, a group that includes 13 individual stocks and currently sits at #188 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 1.60% so far this year, so VLO is performing better in this area.Going forward, investors interested in Oils-Energy stocks should continue to pay close attention to VLO as it looks to continue its solid performance.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 Valero Energy Corporation (VLO): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research