Are Finance Stocks Lagging Amalgamated Financial (AMAL) 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. Amalgamated Financial (AMAL) 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? 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.Amalgamated Financial is one of 871 companies in the Finance group. The Finance group currently sits at #1 within the Zacks Sector Rank. 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. Amalgamated Financial is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AMAL's full-year earnings has moved 5.2% higher within the past quarter. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.Our latest available data shows that AMAL has returned about 32.3% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of 25.8%. As we can see, Amalgamated Financial is performing better than its sector in the calendar year.One other Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Janus Henderson Group plc (JHG). The stock is up 50.2% year-to-date.For Janus Henderson Group plc, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 6.1% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Looking more specifically, Amalgamated Financial belongs to the Financial - SBIC & Commercial Industry industry, a group that includes 36 individual stocks and currently sits at #59 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 9.4% so far this year, so AMAL is performing better in this area.On the other hand, Janus Henderson Group plc belongs to the Financial - Investment Management industry. This 37-stock industry is currently ranked #31. The industry has moved +43.7% year to date.Amalgamated Financial and Janus Henderson Group plc could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Finance stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.Must-See: Solar Stocks Poised to SkyrocketThe solar industry stands to bounce back as tech companies and the economy transition away from fossil fuels to power the AI boom.Trillions of dollars will be invested in clean energy over the coming years – and analysts predict solar will account for 80% of the renewable energy expansion. This creates an outsized opportunity to profit in the near-term and for years to come. But you have to pick the right stocks to get into.Discover Zacks’ hottest solar stock recommendation FREE.Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Amalgamated Financial Corp. (AMAL): Free Stock Analysis Report Janus Henderson Group plc (JHG): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks