Friday's Financial Winners & Losers

Financial stocks were mixed Friday but, on the whole, they performed slightly better than the broader market.

Tax preparer H&R Block (HRB Quote) helped buoy the sector, leaping 3.7% to $22.64 after agreeing to sell its subprime lending unit, Option One Mortgage, to private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management.

First-quarter results continued filing in as well, with American Express (AXP Quote) climbing 2.8% to $60.58 after sailing past top- and bottom-line projections. The credit-card company posted continuing-operations profits that were 25.7% higher year over year at 88 cents a share, or $1.07 billion, on revenue of $7.63 billion. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial were seeking 80 cents a share on $7.17 billion in revenue. ...