For those looking to find strong Finance stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Artisan Partners Asset Management (APAM Quick QuoteAPAM - 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 APAM and the rest of the Finance group's stocks.

Artisan Partners Asset Management is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 853 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #9. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.

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. APAM is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for APAM's full-year earnings has moved 2.83% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the most recent data, APAM has returned 30.21% so far this year. At the same time, Finance stocks have gained an average of 13.60%. This means that Artisan Partners Asset Management is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

To break things down more, APAM belongs to the Financial - Investment Management industry, a group that includes 52 individual companies and currently sits at #151 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 10.13% so far this year, so APAM is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

Investors in the Finance sector will want to keep a close eye on APAM as it attempts to continue its solid performance.