Are Finance Stocks Lagging Aercap (AER) This Year?
Investors interested in Finance stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is AerCap (AER) one of those stocks right now? 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.
AerCap is one of 848 companies in the Finance group. The Finance group currently sits at #12 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.
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. AerCap is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AER's full-year earnings has moved 11.8% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
According to our latest data, AER has moved about 4.2% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, the Finance sector has returned an average of 3.1% on a year-to-date basis. As we can see, AerCap is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
Another Finance stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Aflac (AFL). The stock has returned 7.9% year-to-date.
The consensus estimate for Aflac's current year EPS has increased 3.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, AerCap belongs to the Financial - Leasing Companies industry, a group that includes 3 individual stocks and currently sits at #17 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 5.7% so far this year, so AER is slightly underperforming its industry in this area.
On the other hand, Aflac belongs to the Insurance - Accident and Health industry. This 5-stock industry is currently ranked #5. The industry has moved +8.8% year to date.
Investors with an interest in Finance stocks should continue to track AerCap and Aflac. These stocks will be looking to continue their 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
Aercap Holdings N.V. (AER) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Aflac Incorporated (AFL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
