Are Finance Stocks Lagging Annaly Capital Management (NLY) This Year?

Group 1 - Annaly Capital Management (NLY) is currently outperforming its peers in the Finance sector, with a year-to-date return of 19.8% compared to the sector average of 2% [4] - The Zacks Rank for Annaly Capital Management is 1 (Strong Buy), indicating a positive earnings outlook and strong analyst sentiment, with a 6.2% increase in the consensus estimate for full-year earnings over the past quarter [3][4] - Annaly Capital Management is part of the REIT and Equity Trust industry, which has gained an average of 8.5% this year, further highlighting its strong performance within this segment [6] Group 2 - Bank First Corporation (BFC) is another Finance stock that has outperformed the sector, with a year-to-date increase of 2.5% and a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5] - The consensus EPS estimate for Bank First Corporation has increased by 3% over the past three months, indicating a positive trend in earnings expectations [5] - The Banks - Northeast industry, to which Bank First Corporation belongs, is currently ranked 16 and has seen a decline of 4% this year, contrasting with the performance of Annaly Capital Management [6]