The Finance group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Citigroup (C) 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.

Citigroup is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 869 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #2. 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. Citigroup is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for C’s full-year earnings has moved 3.9% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock’s earnings outlook is improving.

According to our latest data, C has moved about 31.6% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of 9.2%. This shows that Citigroup is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Banco Santander-Brazil (BSBR) is another Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 21%.

In Banco Santander-Brazil’s case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 1.4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Citigroup belongs to the Financial – Investment Bank industry, which includes 21 individual stocks and currently sits at #12 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 20.3% so far this year, meaning that C is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Banco Santander-Brazil, however, belongs to the Banks – Foreign industry. Currently, this 67-stock industry is ranked #13. The industry has moved +27.3% so far this year.

Citigroup and Banco Santander-Brazil could continue their solid performance, so investors interested in Finance stocks should continue to pay close attention to these stocks.

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