Investors interested in Finance stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Aflac (AFL Quick QuoteAFL - 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? One simple way to answer this question is to take a look at the year-to-date performance of AFL and the rest of the Finance group's stocks.

Aflac is a member of our Finance group, which includes 855 different companies and currently sits at #7 in 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 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. AFL is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AFL's full-year earnings has moved 1.05% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

Based on the latest available data, AFL has gained about 8.67% so far this year. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of 7.96%. This means that Aflac is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

To break things down more, AFL belongs to the Insurance - Accident and Health industry, a group that includes 5 individual companies and currently sits at #106 in the Zacks Industry Rank.

AFL will likely be looking to continue its solid performance, so investors interested in Finance stocks should continue to pay close attention to the company.