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Investors interested in Finance stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. EPR Properties (EPR) 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.
EPR Properties is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 867 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 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. EPR Properties is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EPR's full-year earnings has moved 1.3% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.
Our latest available data shows that EPR has returned about 17.4% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Finance sector has returned an average of 4.1% on a year-to-date basis. As we can see, EPR Properties is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.
Aviva (AVVIY) is another Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 23.7%.
In Aviva's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 0.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, EPR Properties belongs to the REIT and Equity Trust - Retail industry, a group that includes 21 individual stocks and currently sits at #58 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 4.4% this year, meaning that EPR is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
Aviva, however, belongs to the Insurance - Life Insurance industry. Currently, this 16-stock industry is ranked #62. The industry has moved +1% so far this year.
Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on EPR Properties and Aviva as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
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