Regional bank ETFs have led rallying stock prices in the financial sector in recent weeks, outperforming large-cap banks, and may be on the path to a better year in 2012, according to ETF Trends.

The iShares Dow Jones U.S. Regional Banks ETF (NYSEArca: IAT) and SPDR S&P Regional Banking ETF (NYSEArca: KRE) are ways to gain exposure to the sector, the article said.

KRE has risen 7.4 percent year-to-date through Wednesday, more than doubling the S&P 500’s rise of 2.9 percent, according to the article.

For the full story, go to ETFTrends.com.