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The following are the top rated Financial stocks according to Validea's P/E/Growth Investor model based on the published strategy of Peter Lynch. This strategy looks for stocks trading at a reasonable price relative to earnings growth that also possess strong balance sheets.

BANK OZK (OZK) is a mid-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch is 100% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Bank OZK (the Bank) is a regional bank that provides a range of financial solutions. The Bank offers a range of products, including checking, savings, loans, mortgages, treasury management, merchant services, trust and estate services, wealth, and credit cards, among others. Its savings products include certificates of deposit, money market accounts, and individual retirement accounts. Its personal lending options include home equity lines of credit, personal lines of credit and auto loans. It offers both a fixed-rate mortgage and an adjustable-rate mortgage. Its online banking enables users to manage their accounts, pay bills, transfer funds, view electronic account statements and others. The Bank also provides individual consultation, financial planning, trust, and investment management services. The Bank conducts banking operations through approximately 240 offices in eight states, including Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, New York, California, and Mississippi.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of BANK OZK

GRUPO CIBEST SA (ADR) (CIB) is a mid-cap value stock in the Money Center Banks industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch is 93% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Grupo Cibest SA is a Colombia-based holding company that operates primarily in the financial services sector. The company is the parent entity of Bancolombia SA and oversees a broad ecosystem of financial and non-financial businesses across Colombia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Grupo Cibest provides a comprehensive suite of banking and financial products through its subsidiaries, including personal, automobile, and education loans, credit and debit cards, securities brokerage, fund transfers, leasing, foreign trade financing, insurance, and pension fund services. It operates through various segments such as Banking Colombia, Banking Panama, Banking El Salvador, Banking Guatemala, Trust, Investment Banking, Brokerage, and Offshore services Grupo Cibest plays a pivotal role in the regions financial infrastructure, serving a diverse clientele that includes individuals, corporations, institutions, and government entities.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of GRUPO CIBEST SA (ADR)

BAIN CAPITAL SPECIALTY FINANCE INC (BCSF) is a small-cap value stock in the Investment Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch is 93% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Bain Capital Specialty Finance, Inc. is an externally managed specialty finance company focused on lending to middle market companies. The Company's investment objective is to generate current income and, to a lesser extent, capital appreciation through direct originations of secured debt, including first lien, first lien/last out, unitranche and second lien debt, investments in strategic joint ventures, equity investments and, to a lesser extent, corporate bonds. Its primary focus is capitalizing on opportunities within Bain Capital Credit's Senior Direct Lending Strategy, which seeks to provide risk-adjusted returns and current income to investors by investing primarily in middle-market direct lending opportunities across North America, Europe and Australia and also in other geographic markets. It may also invest in mezzanine debt and other junior securities, including common and preferred equity and in secondary purchases of assets or portfolios. It is managed by BCSF Advisors, LP.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of BAIN CAPITAL SPECIALTY FINANCE INC

CARLYLE SECURED LENDING INC (CGBD) is a small-cap value stock in the Misc. Financial Services industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch is 93% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc. is a specialty finance company that is a closed-end, externally managed, non-diversified management investment company. The Company's investment objective is to generate current income and capital appreciation primarily through assembling a portfolio of secured debt investments in United States middle market companies. The Company seeks to achieve its investment objective primarily through direct origination of secured debt instruments, including first lien senior secured loans (which may include stand-alone first lien loans, first lien/last out loans and unitranche loans) and second lien senior secured loans (collectively, Middle Market Senior Loans), with a minority of its assets invested in higher yielding investments (which may include unsecured debt, subordinated debt and investments in equities and structured products). The Company is externally managed by its investment adviser, Carlyle Global Credit Investment Management L.L.C.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of CARLYLE SECURED LENDING INC

W R BERKLEY CORP (WRB) is a large-cap growth stock in the Insurance (Prop. & Casualty) industry. The rating according to our strategy based on Peter Lynch is 91% based on the firm’s underlying fundamentals and the stock’s valuation. A score of 80% or above typically indicates that the strategy has some interest in the stock and a score above 90% typically indicates strong interest.

Company Description: W. R. Berkley Corporation is an insurance holding company. It operates through two segments of the property casualty insurance business: Insurance and Reinsurance & Monoline Excess. Its Insurance businesses underwrite commercial insurance business, including excess and surplus lines, admitted lines and specialty personal lines throughout the United States, as well as insurance business in Asia, Australia, Canada, Continental Europe, Mexico, Scandinavia, South America and the United Kingdom. Its Insurance segment consists of business units, including Acadia Insurance, Admiral Insurance, Berkley Accident and Health, Berkley Agribusiness and others. It provides professional liability and casualty insurance for small to mid-sized businesses though the business unit Berkley Edge. Its Reinsurance & Monoline Excess offers reinsurance business on a facultative and treaty basis in the United States, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Australia, the Asia-Pacific region and South Africa.

The following table summarizes whether the stock meets each of this strategy's tests. Not all criteria in the below table receive equal weighting or are independent, but the table provides a brief overview of the strong and weak points of the security in the context of the strategy's criteria.

Detailed Analysis of W R BERKLEY CORP

About Peter Lynch: Perhaps the greatest mutual fund manager of all-time, Lynch guided Fidelity Investment's Magellan Fund to a 29.2 percent average annual return from 1977 until his retirement in 1990, almost doubling the S&P 500's 15.8 percent yearly return over that time. Lynch's common sense approach and quick wit made him one of the most quoted investors on Wall Street. ("Go for a business that any idiot can run -- because sooner or later, any idiot probably is going to run it," is one of his many pearls of wisdom.) Lynch's bestseller One Up on Wall Street is something of a "stocks for the everyman/everywoman", breaking his approach down into easy-to-understand concepts.

About Validea: Validea is aninvestment researchservice that follows the published strategies of investment legends. Validea offers both stock analysis and model portfolios based on gurus who have outperformed the market over the long-term, including Warren Buffett, Benjamin Graham, Peter Lynch and Martin Zweig. For more information about Validea, click here

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.