Are Finance Stocks Lagging Erste Group Bank (EBKDY) 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. Erste Group Bank AG (EBKDY) 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.
Erste Group Bank AG is one of 847 companies in the Finance group. The Finance group currently sits at #7 within 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 successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Erste Group Bank AG is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for EBKDY's full-year earnings has moved 2.2% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.
According to our latest data, EBKDY has moved about 23.6% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of 8.7%. This means that Erste Group Bank AG is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.
One other Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is CME Group (CME). The stock is up 26.9% year-to-date.
For CME Group, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 0.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Erste Group Bank AG belongs to the Banks - Foreign industry, which includes 63 individual stocks and currently sits at #158 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 13.9% so far this year, so EBKDY is performing better in this area.
On the other hand, CME Group belongs to the Securities and Exchanges industry. This 8-stock industry is currently ranked #22. The industry has moved +19.2% year to date.
Going forward, investors interested in Finance stocks should continue to pay close attention to Erste Group Bank AG and CME Group as they could maintain their solid performance.
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