Investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is Nutrien (NTR) one of those stocks right now? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Basic Materials peers, we might be able to answer that question.Nutrien is one of 250 companies in the Basic Materials group. The Basic Materials group currently sits at #8 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. NTR is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NTR's full-year earnings has moved 33.70% higher within the past quarter. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.Based on the most recent data, NTR has returned 29.15% so far this year. In comparison, Basic Materials companies have returned an average of 2.80%. This means that Nutrien is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.Breaking things down more, NTR is a member of the Fertilizers industry, which includes 7 individual companies and currently sits at #15 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 19.09% so far this year, so NTR is performing better in this area.NTR will likely be looking to continue its solid performance, so investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should continue to pay close attention to the company. Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. It’s bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made. The only question is “Will you get into the right stocks early when their growth potential is greatest?” Zacks has released a Special Report to help you do just that, and today it’s free. Discover 7 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.Download FREE: How to Profit from Trillions on Spending for Infrastructure >>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 Nutrien Ltd. (NTR): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.