For those looking to find strong Basic Materials stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. ArcelorMittal (MT) 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 MT and the rest of the Basic Materials group's stocks.ArcelorMittal is one of 251 individual stocks in the Basic Materials sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #3 in the Zacks Sector Rank. 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. MT is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MT's full-year earnings has moved 56.87% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.Based on the most recent data, MT has returned 32.97% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Basic Materials sector has returned an average of 19.04% on a year-to-date basis. This means that ArcelorMittal is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.Looking more specifically, MT belongs to the Steel - Producers industry, which includes 24 individual stocks and currently sits at #13 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 44.31% so far this year, so MT is slightly underperforming its industry in this area.Going forward, investors interested in Basic Materials stocks should continue to pay close attention to MT as it looks to continue its solid performance. 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 ArcelorMittal (MT): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research