Is Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) Outperforming 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. Is Ameris Bancorp (ABCB) one of those stocks right now? 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.Ameris Bancorp is one of 869 individual stocks in the Finance sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #2 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 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. Ameris Bancorp is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ABCB's full-year earnings has moved 6.4% higher within the past quarter. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.Based on the latest available data, ABCB has gained about 11.8% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Finance group have gained about 10.7% on average. This means that Ameris Bancorp is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.Another Finance stock, which has outperformed the sector so far this year, is First Bancorp (FBP). The stock has returned 13.8% year-to-date.Over the past three months, First Bancorp's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 1.7%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).Looking more specifically, Ameris Bancorp belongs to the Banks - Southeast industry, a group that includes 54 individual stocks and currently sits at #14 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 1.1% so far this year, so ABCB is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns. First Bancorp is also part of the same industry.Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on Ameris Bancorp and First Bancorp as they attempt to continue their solid performance.Free Report: Profiting from the 2nd Wave of AI ExplosionThe next phase of the AI explosion is poised to create significant wealth for investors, especially those who get in early. It will add literally trillion of dollars to the economy and revolutionize nearly every part of our lives.Investors who bought shares like Nvidia at the right time have had a shot at huge gains.But the rocket ride in the "first wave" of AI stocks may soon come to an end. The sharp upward trajectory of these stocks will begin to level off, leaving exponential growth to a new wave of cutting-edge companies.Zacks' AI Boom 2.0: The Second Wave report reveals 4 under-the-radar companies that may soon be shining stars of AI’s next leap forward.Access AI Boom 2.0 now, absolutely 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 Ameris Bancorp (ABCB): Free Stock Analysis Report First BanCorp. (FBP): 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