The Basic Materials group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Has Alpha Metallurgical (AMR) been one of those stocks this year? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.Alpha Metallurgical is a member of the Basic Materials sector. This group includes 247 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #8. 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. Alpha Metallurgical is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMR's full-year earnings has moved 410.4% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.Based on the most recent data, AMR has returned 3.2% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Basic Materials group have lost about 0.4% on average. This shows that Alpha Metallurgical is outperforming its peers so far this year.One other Basic Materials stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is The Andersons (ANDE). The stock is up 1.4% year-to-date.For The Andersons, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 29.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Looking more specifically, Alpha Metallurgical belongs to the Mining - Miscellaneous industry, which includes 51 individual stocks and currently sits at #171 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 0.2% so far this year, so AMR is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.The Andersons, however, belongs to the Agriculture - Products industry. Currently, this 7-stock industry is ranked #87. The industry has moved +0.2% so far this year.Investors with an interest in Basic Materials stocks should continue to track Alpha Metallurgical and The Andersons. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance. Zacks’ Top Picks to Cash in on Artificial Intelligence This world-changing technology is projected to generate $100S of billions by 2025. From self-driving cars to consumer data analysis, people are relying on machines more than we ever have before. Now is the time to capitalize on the 4th Industrial Revolution. Zacks’ urgent special report reveals 6 AI picks investors need to know about today.See 6 Artificial Intelligence Stocks With Extreme Upside Potential>>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 Alpha Metallurgical Resources, Inc. (AMR): Free Stock Analysis Report The Andersons, Inc. (ANDE): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research