Is First BanCorp. (FBP) Stock Outpacing Its Finance Peers This Year?

Investors interested in Finance stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Is First Bancorp (FBP) one of those stocks right now? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.First Bancorp is a member of our Finance group, which includes 870 different companies and currently sits at #1 in the Zacks Sector Rank. 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. First Bancorp is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FBP's full-year earnings has moved 3.9% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.Based on the latest available data, FBP has gained about 4.4% so far this year. Meanwhile, the Finance sector has returned an average of 4% on a year-to-date basis. This means that First Bancorp is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.Another Finance stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is Colony Bankcorp (CBAN). The stock has returned 4.7% year-to-date.For Colony Bankcorp, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 8.9% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Breaking things down more, First Bancorp is a member of the Banks - Southeast industry, which includes 53 individual companies and currently sits at #21 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 0.2% so far this year, so FBP is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns. Colony Bankcorp is also part of the same industry.Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on First Bancorp and Colony Bankcorp 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 First BanCorp. (FBP): Free Stock Analysis Report Colony Bankcorp, Inc. (CBAN): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks