Investors interested in Finance stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. First Busey (BUSE) 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? 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.

First Busey is a member of our Finance group, which includes 870 different companies and currently sits at #1 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. First Busey is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BUSE's full-year earnings has moved 5.3% higher within the past quarter. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.

According to our latest data, BUSE has moved about 6.3% on a year-to-date basis. Meanwhile, the Finance sector has returned an average of 5.6% on a year-to-date basis. This shows that First Busey is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Palomar (PLMR) is another Finance stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 18.4%.

The consensus estimate for Palomar's current year EPS has increased 0.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Breaking things down more, First Busey is a member of the Banks - Midwest industry, which includes 29 individual companies and currently sits at #10 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 4.4% so far this year, so BUSE is performing better in this area.

Palomar, however, belongs to the Insurance - Property and Casualty industry. Currently, this 41-stock industry is ranked #86. The industry has moved +5% so far this year.

Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on First Busey and Palomar as they attempt to continue their solid performance.

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