For those looking to find strong Finance stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A. (AVAL) 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.
Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A. is one of 858 individual stocks in the Finance sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #4 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 model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AVAL's full-year earnings has moved 2.1% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.
According to our latest data, AVAL has moved about 24.2% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, stocks in the Finance group have gained about 18.3% on average. This shows that Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A. is outperforming its peers so far this year.
Another stock in the Finance sector, Nicolet Bankshares (NIC), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 18.4%.
In Nicolet Bankshares' case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 13.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Breaking things down more, Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A. is a member of the Financial - Investment Management industry, which includes 37 individual companies and currently sits at #169 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has lost an average of 15.1% so far this year, so AVAL is performing better in this area.
Nicolet Bankshares, however, belongs to the Banks - Northeast industry. Currently, this 74-stock industry is ranked #53. The industry has moved +11.5% so far this year.
Going forward, investors interested in Finance stocks should continue to pay close attention to Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A. and Nicolet Bankshares as they could maintain their solid performance.
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Grupo Aval Acciones y Valores S.A. (AVAL): Free Stock Analysis Report Nicolet Bankshares Inc. (NIC): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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