The Finance group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Is Apple Hospitality REIT (APLE) 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.
Apple Hospitality REIT is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 837 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #5. 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 proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. Apple Hospitality REIT is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for APLE's full-year earnings has moved 1.4% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
Our latest available data shows that APLE has returned about 1.4% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of -2.7%. This shows that Apple Hospitality REIT is outperforming its peers so far this year.
Ares Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) is another Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 3.1%.
Over the past three months, Ares Commercial Real Estate's consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 92.2%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Breaking things down more, Apple Hospitality REIT is a member of the REIT and Equity Trust - Other industry, which includes 91 individual companies and currently sits at #56 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 5.8% so far this year, so APLE is slightly underperforming its industry in this area.
In contrast, Ares Commercial Real Estate falls under the REIT and Equity Trust industry. Currently, this industry has 27 stocks and is ranked #162. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -3%.
Investors with an interest in Finance stocks should continue to track Apple Hospitality REIT and Ares Commercial Real Estate. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
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Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (APLE): Free Stock Analysis Report
Ares Commercial Real Estate Corporation (ACRE): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).