Are Finance Stocks Lagging Bank Of Montreal (BMO) This Year?

Core Insights - Bank of Montreal (BMO) has outperformed the Finance sector with a year-to-date return of 14.2%, compared to the sector average of 7.6% [4] - BMO currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook based on earnings estimates and revisions [3] - The consensus estimate for BMO's full-year earnings has increased by 3.5% over the past 90 days, reflecting improved analyst sentiment [3] Company Performance - BMO is part of the Finance group, which ranks 2 within the Zacks Sector Rank, consisting of 869 companies [2] - In the Banks - Foreign industry, BMO ranks 44 among 67 companies, slightly underperforming its industry which has gained an average of 26.7% this year [5] - Another Finance stock, Axa Sa (AXAHY), has significantly outperformed with a year-to-date return of 28.3% and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [4][5] Industry Context - The Finance sector is currently performing well, with BMO leading among its peers [4] - The Banks - Foreign industry is ranked 44, while the Insurance - Multi line industry, which includes Axa Sa, is ranked 85 and has seen a slight decline of -0.2% this year [5][6]