There’s no other way to say it: Bank of America () is on fire.
The entire financials sector has been killing it this year, with the Financial SPDR () boasting year-to-date gains that dwarf the broader market by 8 percentage points.
But lately, Bank of America has sprinted ahead of its rivals.
While the XLF, JPMorgan () and Wells Fargo () have each added around 7% during the past four weeks, Bank of America has more than doubled that run with a 16% climb — the bulk of which came in the lead-up to its earnings report. BAC has tacked on another 2%-plus today, making it the second-best Dow Jones Industrial Average performer behind
American Express ().
Such strong continued momentum has made BAC a doubler in the past 52 weeks, and technically speaking, its higher highs and higher lows provide some optimism going forward.
But despite its climb — and headlines saying the stock — BAC still is trading at a 28% discount to book. Plus, Bank of America is expected to grow earnings per share by 18% annually for the next decade, yet is trading at just 11 times next year’s earnings.
Mouth-watering valuations are common throughout the sector, though — just one of seven reasons InvestorPlace Editor Jeff Reeves recently said bank stocks remain a buy in the second half.
Still, with valuation as a common denominator, Bank of America has clearly risen above its peers.
As of this writing, Alyssa Oursler did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
