Investors interested in Finance stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is AIA (AAGIY) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.
AIA is one of 857 companies in the Finance group. The Finance group currently sits at #7 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.
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. AIA is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AAGIY's full-year earnings has moved 3.1% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
Our latest available data shows that AAGIY has returned about 15.7% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of 5.6%. This shows that AIA is outperforming its peers so far this year.
Apollo Commerical Finance (ARI) is another Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 13.2%.
In Apollo Commerical Finance's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 61% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, AIA belongs to the Insurance - Life Insurance industry, which includes 16 individual stocks and currently sits at #160 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 1.8% so far this year, meaning that AAGIY is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
On the other hand, Apollo Commerical Finance belongs to the REIT and Equity Trust industry. This 33-stock industry is currently ranked #153. The industry has moved -4.1% year to date.
Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on AIA and Apollo Commerical Finance as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
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AIA (AAGIY): Free Stock Analysis Report Apollo Commercial Real Estate Finance (ARI): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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