Is Business First Bancshares (BFST) Outperforming 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. Is Business First (BFST) one of those stocks right now? 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.Business First is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 871 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 is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. Business First is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BFST's full-year earnings has moved 4% higher within the past quarter. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.Based on the most recent data, BFST has returned 6.9% so far this year. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of 5.9%. This shows that Business First is outperforming its peers so far this year.Another Finance stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Jackson Financial (JXN). The stock has returned 7.1% year-to-date.For Jackson Financial, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 2.4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Breaking things down more, Business First is a member of the Banks - Northeast industry, which includes 75 individual companies and currently sits at #14 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 8.3% this year, meaning that BFST is slightly underperforming its industry in terms of year-to-date returns.In contrast, Jackson Financial falls under the Insurance - Life Insurance industry. Currently, this industry has 16 stocks and is ranked #165. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved +2%.Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on Business First and Jackson Financial as they attempt to continue their solid performance.Just Released: Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2025Hurry – you can still get in early on our 10 top tickers for 2025. Handpicked by Zacks Director of Research Sheraz Mian, this portfolio has been stunningly and consistently successful. From inception in 2012 through November, 2024, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,112.6%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +475.6%. Sheraz has combed through 4,400 companies covered by the Zacks Rank and handpicked the best 10 to buy and hold in 2025. You can still be among the first to see these just-released stocks with enormous potential. See New Top 10 Stocks >>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 Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST): Free Stock Analysis Report Jackson Financial Inc. (JXN): 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