The Finance group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Has American Campus Communities (ACC) been one of those stocks this year? 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.American Campus Communities is a member of the Finance sector. This group includes 887 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #3. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.The Zacks Rank is a proven model that highlights a variety of stocks with the right characteristics to outperform the market over the next one to three months. The system emphasizes earnings estimate revisions and favors companies with improving earnings outlooks. American Campus Communities is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ACC's full-year earnings has moved 0.3% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.Our latest available data shows that ACC has returned about 14% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Finance companies have returned an average of -15.2%. This means that American Campus Communities is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.Another stock in the Finance sector, Assurant (AIZ), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 10.3%.In Assurant's case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 3.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Looking more specifically, American Campus Communities belongs to the REIT and Equity Trust - Residential industry, which includes 25 individual stocks and currently sits at #56 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have lost about 18.7% so far this year, so ACC is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.On the other hand, Assurant belongs to the Insurance - Multi line industry. This 33-stock industry is currently ranked #90. The industry has moved -6.6% year to date.Investors interested in the Finance sector may want to keep a close eye on American Campus Communities and Assurant as they attempt to continue their solid performance. Just Released: Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2022 In addition to the investment ideas discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 top picks for the entirety of 2022? From inception in 2012 through 2021, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolios gained an impressive +1,001.2% versus the S&P 500’s +348.7%. Now our Director of Research has combed through 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank and has handpicked the best 10 tickers to buy and hold. Don’t miss your chance to get in…because the sooner you do, the more upside you stand to grab.See Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report American Campus Communities Inc (ACC): Free Stock Analysis Report Assurant, Inc. (AIZ): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research