For those looking to find strong Finance stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Is Allianz SE (ALIZY) 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.
Allianz SE is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 866 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #2. 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. Allianz SE is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALIZY's full-year earnings has moved 0.9% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
According to our latest data, ALIZY has moved about 36.8% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, the Finance sector has returned an average of 14% on a year-to-date basis. This means that Allianz SE is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.
Morgan Stanley (MS) is another Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 24.6%.
Over the past three months, Morgan Stanley's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 3.3%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
To break things down more, Allianz SE belongs to the Insurance - Multi line industry, a group that includes 43 individual companies and currently sits at #84 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 6.1% so far this year, so ALIZY is performing better in this area.
Morgan Stanley, however, belongs to the Financial - Investment Bank industry. Currently, this 21-stock industry is ranked #10. The industry has moved +27% so far this year.
Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on Allianz SE and Morgan Stanley as they attempt 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
Allianz SE (ALIZY): Free Stock Analysis Report Morgan Stanley (MS): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
