The Finance group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Has Axis Capital (AXS) been one of those stocks this year? 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.

Axis Capital is one of 871 individual stocks in the Finance sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #1 in the Zacks Sector Rank. 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 emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. Axis Capital is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for AXS' full-year earnings has moved 1.2% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.

Based on the most recent data, AXS has returned 67.7% so far this year. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of 26.2%. This means that Axis Capital is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Another stock in the Finance sector, Mr Cooper (COOP), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 49.3%.

For Mr Cooper, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 3.1% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, Axis Capital belongs to the Insurance - Property and Casualty industry, which includes 40 individual stocks and currently sits at #32 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has gained an average of 31.4% so far this year, meaning that AXS is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Mr Cooper, however, belongs to the Financial - Consumer Loans industry. Currently, this 16-stock industry is ranked #174. The industry has moved +39.1% so far this year.

Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on Axis Capital and Mr Cooper as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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