Investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Bunge (BG) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? One simple way to answer this question is to take a look at the year-to-date performance of BG and the rest of the Basic Materials group's stocks.Bunge is a member of our Basic Materials group, which includes 245 different companies and currently sits at #3 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 is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. BG is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BG's full-year earnings has moved 23.10% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.Our latest available data shows that BG has returned about 29.76% since the start of the calendar year. At the same time, Basic Materials stocks have gained an average of 19.90%. This means that Bunge is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.Looking more specifically, BG belongs to the Agriculture - Products industry, which includes 7 individual stocks and currently sits at #33 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 23.69% so far this year, so BG is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.Investors with an interest in Basic Materials stocks should continue to track BG. The stock will be looking 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 Bunge Limited (BG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.