Has Aegon NV (AEG) Outpaced Other Finance Stocks This Year?

For those looking to find strong Finance stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Aegon NV (AEG) been one of those stocks this year? 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.

Aegon NV is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 899 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #1. 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. Aegon NV is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Within the past quarter, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AEG's full-year earnings has moved 9.3% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the latest available data, AEG has gained about 17.4% so far this year. At the same time, Finance stocks have gained an average of 0.7%. As we can see, Aegon NV is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.

Bank of America (BAC) is another Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 5.5%.

The consensus estimate for Bank of America's current year EPS has increased 3.4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, Aegon NV is a member of the Insurance - Multi line industry, which includes 33 individual companies and currently sits at #204 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 2.5% so far this year, meaning that AEG is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Bank of America, however, belongs to the Banks - Major Regional industry. Currently, this 15-stock industry is ranked #45. The industry has moved +4.6% so far this year.

Investors with an interest in Finance stocks should continue to track Aegon NV and Bank of America. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.

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