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Is BancFirst (BANF) Stock Outpacing Its Finance Peers This Year?

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Investors interested in Finance stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. BancFirst (BANF - 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.

BancFirst is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 889 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #4. 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 emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. BancFirst is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BANF's full-year earnings has moved 19.1% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the latest available data, BANF has gained about 30.3% so far this year. At the same time, Finance stocks have lost an average of 15.4%. This shows that BancFirst is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another stock in the Finance sector, Braemar Hotels & Resorts (BHR - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 1.6%.

In Braemar Hotels & Resorts' case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 43.6% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, BancFirst belongs to the Banks - Southwest industry, which includes 18 individual stocks and currently sits at #92 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 4.2% so far this year, meaning that BANF is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

In contrast, Braemar Hotels & Resorts falls under the REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry. Currently, this industry has 106 stocks and is ranked #88. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -16.9%.

BancFirst and Braemar Hotels & Resorts could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Finance stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.


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