Has Alerus Financial (ALRS) Outpaced Other Finance Stocks This Year?

Core Insights - Alerus (ALRS) has shown strong year-to-date performance, returning approximately 3.5%, outperforming the Finance sector average of 1.8% [2][3] - The Zacks Rank for Alerus is 1 (Strong Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook with a 19.5% increase in the consensus estimate for full-year earnings over the past 90 days [2][3] - Alerus is part of the Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry, which has gained an average of 3.2% this year, indicating better performance compared to its industry ranking of 157 [3] Company Performance - Alerus has outperformed the Finance sector, with a year-to-date return of 3.5% compared to the sector's average gain of 1.8% [2] - The stock's earnings outlook has improved significantly, with a 19.5% increase in the consensus earnings estimate over the last three months [2] - T. Rowe Price (TROW) is another Finance stock that has performed well, with a year-to-date increase of 2.1% and a consensus EPS estimate increase of 10.4% [2][3] Industry Context - The Financial - Miscellaneous Services industry, which includes Alerus, has seen an average gain of 3.2% this year, indicating a competitive performance within its sector [3] - In contrast, the Financial - Investment Management industry, to which T. Rowe Price belongs, has performed better with a 6.9% increase this year [3] - Alerus is ranked 8 in the Zacks Sector Rank, which includes 857 companies, reflecting its strong position within the Finance sector [1]