Is BCB Bancorp (BCBP) Outperforming Other Finance Stocks This Year?
For those looking to find strong Finance stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has BCB Bancorp (BCBP) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Finance peers, we might be able to answer that question.
BCB Bancorp is one of 899 individual stocks in the Finance sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #1 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. BCB Bancorp is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BCBP's full-year earnings has moved 7.6% higher within the past quarter. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
Our latest available data shows that BCBP has returned about 18.3% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of 0.7%. This means that BCB Bancorp is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.
One other Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Citizens Financial Group (CFG). The stock is up 14.4% year-to-date.
Over the past three months, Citizens Financial Group's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 3.6%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Breaking things down more, BCB Bancorp is a member of the Banks - Northeast industry, which includes 90 individual companies and currently sits at #20 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 3.3% so far this year, so BCBP is performing better in this area.
In contrast, Citizens Financial Group falls under the Financial - Savings and Loan industry. Currently, this industry has 36 stocks and is ranked #98. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +5.4%.
Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on BCB Bancorp and Citizens Financial Group as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
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