For those looking to find strong Finance stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Main Street Capital (MAIN) 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.Main Street Capital is one of 869 individual stocks in the Finance sector. Co ...

Group 1: Earnings Performance - Crescent Capital BDC reported quarterly earnings of $0.46 per share, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but down from $0.59 per share a year ago [1] - The company had a revenue of $42.99 million for the quarter ended June 2025, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.02%, but down from $48.95 million year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Crescent Capital BDC has surpassed consensus EPS estimates only once [1] Group 2: Stock Performance and Outlook - Crescent Capital BDC shares have declined approximately 24% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of 9.6% [3] - The company's earnings outlook will be crucial for future stock performance, with current consensus EPS estimates at $0.46 for the coming quarter and $1.81 for the current fiscal year [4][7] - The Zacks Rank for Crescent Capital BDC is currently 3 (Hold), indicating expected performance in line with the market in the near future [6] Group 3: Industry Context - The Financial - SBIC & Commercial Industry, to which Crescent Capital BDC belongs, is currently in the bottom 20% of over 250 Zacks industries, which may negatively impact stock performance [8] - Empirical research indicates a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions, suggesting that industry outlook can significantly affect stock performance [5][8]

Group 1 - Main Street Capital (MAIN) is outperforming its peers in the Finance sector with a year-to-date gain of approximately 13.8%, compared to the sector's average return of 10.6% [4] - The Finance group ranks 2 within the Zacks Sector Rank, indicating strong performance among its 869 companies [2] - MAIN has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy), reflecting improving earnings estimates, with a 1.2% increase in the consensus estimate for full-year earnings over the past 90 days [3] Group 2 - Main Street Capital belongs to the Financial - SBIC & Commercial Industry, which has 37 stocks and currently ranks 199 in the Zacks Industry Rank, with this group losing about 5.5% year-to-date [5] - Another Finance stock, ACNB, has also outperformed the sector with a year-to-date increase of 11.9% and has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [4][5] - The Banks - Southwest industry, which includes ACNB, has 19 stocks and is ranked 31, with a year-to-date increase of 2.1% [6]

Gladstone Investment (GAIN) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.24 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.23 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.24 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +4.35%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this business development company would post earnings of $0.23 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.26, delivering a surprise of +13.04%. Over the las ...

PennantPark (PNNT) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.18 per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate . This compares to earnings of $0.24 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. A quarter ago, it was expected that this business development company would post earnings of $0.19 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.18, delivering a surprise of -5.26%. Over the last four quarters, the company has not been able to surpass consensus EPS estimates. There ...

Company Performance - Goldman Sachs BDC reported quarterly earnings of $0.38 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.40 per share, and down from $0.57 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of -5.00% [1] - The company posted revenues of $90.97 million for the quarter ended June 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.74%, and down from $108.62 million year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, Goldman Sachs BDC has surpassed consensus EPS estimates only once and has not beaten consensus revenue estimates during the same period [2] Stock Performance - Goldman Sachs BDC shares have declined approximately 7.2% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has gained 7.9% [3] - The company's current Zacks Rank is 3 (Hold), indicating that shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future [6] Future Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the coming quarter is $0.40 on revenues of $94.85 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $1.60 on revenues of $381.25 million [7] - The outlook for the industry, specifically the Financial - SBIC & Commercial Industry, is currently in the bottom 42% of over 250 Zacks industries, which may impact the stock's performance [8]

Company Performance - Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund reported quarterly earnings of $0.5 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.52 per share, and down from $0.63 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of -3.85% [1] - The company posted revenues of $99.51 million for the quarter ended June 2025, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.29%, and down from $104.19 million year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates only once and has topped consensus revenue estimates just once [2] Stock Performance - Morgan Stanley Direct Lending Fund shares have lost about 10.8% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has gained 7.9% [3] - The current status of estimate revisions translates into a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) for the stock, indicating expected performance in line with the market in the near future [6] Future Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the coming quarter is $0.52 on revenues of $98.69 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $2.08 on revenues of $396.8 million [7] - The outlook for the industry can significantly impact the stock's performance, with the Financial - SBIC & Commercial Industry currently in the bottom 42% of Zacks industries [8]

Core Viewpoint - Barings BDC reported quarterly earnings of $0.28 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.26 per share, but down from $0.4 per share a year ago, indicating a mixed performance in earnings despite a positive surprise this quarter [1][2]. Financial Performance - The company achieved revenues of $74.4 million for the quarter ended June 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 10.32%, although this is a slight decrease from $74.89 million in the same quarter last year [2]. - Over the last four quarters, Barings BDC has exceeded consensus revenue estimates three times [2]. Stock Performance - Barings BDC shares have declined approximately 2.8% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of 7.9% [3]. - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold), suggesting it is expected to perform in line with the market in the near future [6]. Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the upcoming quarter is $0.27 on revenues of $66.19 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $1.04 on revenues of $262.21 million [7]. - The trend of earnings estimate revisions prior to the earnings release was mixed, indicating potential volatility in future estimates [6]. Industry Context - The Financial - SBIC & Commercial Industry, to which Barings BDC belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 42% of over 250 Zacks industries, suggesting a challenging environment for the sector [8].

Company Performance - Horizon Technology Finance reported quarterly earnings of $0.28 per share, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but down from $0.36 per share a year ago [1] - The company posted revenues of $24.52 million for the quarter ended June 2025, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.26%, but down from $25.68 million year-over-year [2] - Over the last four quarters, the company has not surpassed consensus EPS estimates and has topped consensus revenue estimates only once [2][3] Stock Movement and Outlook - Horizon Technology Finance shares have declined approximately 13.9% since the beginning of the year, contrasting with the S&P 500's gain of 7.9% [3] - The company's earnings outlook, including current consensus earnings expectations for upcoming quarters, will be crucial for stock price movement [4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the coming quarter is $0.28 on revenues of $24.74 million, and $1.11 on revenues of $99.01 million for the current fiscal year [7] Industry Context - The Financial - SBIC & Commercial Industry, to which Horizon Technology Finance belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 42% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating potential challenges [8] - Historical data suggests that the top 50% of Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by more than a factor of 2 to 1 [8]

Fidus Investment (FDUS) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.57 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.53 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.57 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +7.55%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this closed-end investment company would post earnings of $0.53 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.54, delivering a surprise of +1.89%.Over the last four ...