Are Finance Stocks Lagging BancFirst (BANF) 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. BancFirst (BANF) 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? 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.
BancFirst is a member of our Finance group, which includes 887 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. BancFirst is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BANF's full-year earnings has moved 4.3% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.
Based on the latest available data, BANF has gained about 34% so far this year. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of -16.7%. As we can see, BancFirst is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
One other Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Banner (BANR). The stock is up 13.5% year-to-date.
The consensus estimate for Banner's current year EPS has increased 2.2% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
To break things down more, BancFirst belongs to the Banks - Southwest industry, a group that includes 19 individual companies and currently sits at #40 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 2.8% so far this year, so BANF is performing better in this area.
In contrast, Banner falls under the Financial - Savings and Loan industry. Currently, this industry has 32 stocks and is ranked #77. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -10%.
Investors with an interest in Finance stocks should continue to track BancFirst and Banner. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
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