Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Is BankFinancial (BFIN) Stock Outpacing Its Finance Peers This Year?

Read MoreHide Full Article

For those looking to find strong Finance stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. BankFinancial (BFIN - Free Report) 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? 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.

BankFinancial is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 898 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #2. 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 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. BankFinancial is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BFIN's full-year earnings has moved 9.8% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Our latest available data shows that BFIN has returned about 2.3% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of -4.6%. This shows that BankFinancial is outperforming its peers so far this year.

One other Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Old Republic International (ORI - Free Report) . The stock is up 2.9% year-to-date.

In Old Republic International's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 3.7% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, BankFinancial belongs to the Financial - Savings and Loan industry, a group that includes 36 individual stocks and currently sits at #74 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 1.3% so far this year, meaning that BFIN is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Old Republic International, however, belongs to the Insurance - Multi line industry. Currently, this 33-stock industry is ranked #162. The industry has moved -0.9% so far this year.

Going forward, investors interested in Finance stocks should continue to pay close attention to BankFinancial and Old Republic International as they could maintain their solid performance.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Old Republic International Corporation (ORI) - free report >>

BankFinancial Corporation (BFIN) - free report >>

Published in