Investors interested in Finance stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is Alerus (ALRS) one of those stocks right now? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Finance sector should help us answer this question.
Alerus is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 855 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #3. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.
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. Alerus is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for ALRS' full-year earnings has moved 5.6% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.
Based on the most recent data, ALRS has returned 15.6% so far this year. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of 1.8%. As we can see, Alerus is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
Manulife Financial (MFC) is another Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 3.3%.
The consensus estimate for Manulife Financial's current year EPS has increased 2.1% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Alerus belongs to the Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry, which includes 103 individual stocks and currently sits at #79 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 7.2% this year, meaning that ALRS is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
In contrast, Manulife Financial falls under the Insurance - Life Insurance industry. Currently, this industry has 16 stocks and is ranked #27. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +1.4%.
Investors with an interest in Finance stocks should continue to track Alerus and Manulife Financial. These stocks will be looking 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
Alerus Financial (ALRS): Free Stock Analysis Report Manulife Financial Corp (MFC): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
