For those looking to find strong Finance stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. (MCB) 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.
Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. is one of 857 companies in the Finance group. The Finance group currently sits at #4 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. Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for MCB's full-year earnings has moved 7% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.
According to our latest data, MCB has moved about 20.5% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of 18.7%. As we can see, Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
Another stock in the Finance sector, Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 33.9%.
In Riot Platforms, Inc.'s case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 0.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
Looking more specifically, Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. belongs to the Banks - Northeast industry, which includes 74 individual stocks and currently sits at #46 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 13.3% this year, meaning that MCB is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
In contrast, Riot Platforms, Inc. falls under the Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry. Currently, this industry has 103 stocks and is ranked #94. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -14%.
Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. and Riot Platforms, Inc. as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
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Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. (MCB): Free Stock Analysis Report Riot Platforms, Inc. (RIOT): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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