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Has Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB) Outpaced Other Finance Stocks This Year?

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The Finance group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Fifth Third Bancorp (FITB - 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? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Finance peers, we might be able to answer that question.

Fifth Third Bancorp is one of 898 companies in the Finance group. The Finance group currently sits at #2 within 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 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. Fifth Third Bancorp is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for FITB's full-year earnings has moved 3.7% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

Based on the most recent data, FITB has returned 10.8% so far this year. At the same time, Finance stocks have lost an average of 2%. This means that Fifth Third Bancorp is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

Another stock in the Finance sector, American National Bankshares , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 3.3%.

The consensus estimate for American National Bankshares' current year EPS has increased 7.6% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).

Looking more specifically, Fifth Third Bancorp belongs to the Banks - Major Regional industry, a group that includes 15 individual stocks and currently sits at #83 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 3.4% this year, meaning that FITB is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

American National Bankshares, however, belongs to the Banks - Southeast industry. Currently, this 66-stock industry is ranked #31. The industry has moved +1.6% so far this year.

Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on Fifth Third Bancorp and American National Bankshares as they attempt to continue their solid performance.


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