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Has First Guaranty Bancshares (FGBI) Outpaced Other Finance Stocks This Year?

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

First Guaranty Bancshares is a member of our Finance group, which includes 894 different companies and currently sits at #5 in 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 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 Guaranty Bancshares is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for FGBI's full-year earnings has moved 2.9% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

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Our latest available data shows that FGBI has returned about 34.9% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of -14.6%. This means that First Guaranty Bancshares is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.

One other Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Cincinnati Financial (CINF). The stock is up 7.7% year-to-date.

In Cincinnati Financial's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 3.6% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, First Guaranty Bancshares belongs to the Banks - Southeast industry, which includes 66 individual stocks and currently sits at #24 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 11.8% so far this year, so FGBI is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Cincinnati Financial belongs to the Insurance - Property and Casualty industry. This 40-stock industry is currently ranked #101. The industry has moved +1.5% year to date.

Investors with an interest in Finance stocks should continue to track First Guaranty Bancshares and Cincinnati Financial. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.


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First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (FGBI) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CINF) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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