The grades of three mortgage stocks are better this week, according to the Portfolio Grader database. Every one of these stocks has an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”) rating.

This week, HF Financial (HFFC) is making solid headway. The company’s rating improves to an A (“strong buy”) from last week’s B (“buy”) rating. HF Financial provides consumer and commercial business banking services in the United States and offers deposit accounts, such as savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts, and certificate of deposits. In Portfolio Grader’s specific subcategories of Earnings Growth and Margin Growth, HFFC also gets A’s. Shares of the stock have been trading at an exceptionally rapid pace, up threefold from the week prior. For more information, get Portfolio Grader’s complete analysis of HFFC stock.

First Financial Northwest, Inc. (FFNW) is bumping up its rating from a C (“hold”) to a B (“buy”) this week. First Financial Northwest provides a wide range of banking services, including checking and savings accounts. For more information, get Portfolio Grader’s complete analysis of FFNW stock.

ESSA Bancorp, Inc. (ESSA) gets a higher grade this week, advancing from a C last week to a B. ESSA Bancorp provides to individuals, families, and businesses in Pennsylvania a range of financial services, including savings accounts, checking accounts, money market accounts and other qualified plan accounts. For more information, get Portfolio Grader’s complete analysis of ESSA stock.

Louis Navellier’s proprietary Portfolio Grader stock ranking system assesses roughly 5,000 companies every week based on a number of fundamental and quantitative measures. Stocks are given a letter grade based on their results — with A being “strong buy,” and F being “strong sell.” Explore the tool here.