The grades of 5 Thrifts & Mortgage Finance stocks are on the rise this week on Portfolio Grader. Each of these stocks is rated an “A” (“strong buy”) or “B” overall (“buy”).

This is a strong week for First Defiance Financial Corp. (FDEF). The company’s rating climbs to A from the previous week’s B. First Defiance Financial Corp. provides financial services to communities based in northwest Ohio, northeast Indiana, and southeastern Michigan. For more information, get Portfolio Grader’s complete analysis of FDEF stock.

This week, Clifton Bancorp, Inc. (CSBK) pushes up from a B to a A rating. Clifton Bancorp, Inc. provides traditional financial services to consumers and businesses. For more information, get Portfolio Grader’s complete analysis of CSBK stock.

Waterstone Financial, Inc.’s (WSBF) ratings are looking better this week, moving up to a A from last week’s B. Waterstone Financial, Inc. is a bank holding company that offers checking and saving accounts, personal and business loans, and retirement planning services. The company also gets A’s in earnings growth. For more information, get Portfolio Grader’s complete analysis of WSBF stock.

Timberland Bancorp, Inc. (TSBK) boosts its rating from a C to a B this week. Timberland Bancorp, Inc. is a holding company for Timberland Bank, which provides savings products to retail customers. The company also gets A’s in operating margin growth, earnings growth, and free cash flow. For more information, get Portfolio Grader’s complete analysis of TSBK stock.

Severn Bancorp, Inc. (SVBI) earns a B this week, jumping up from last week’s grade of C. Severn Bancorp, Inc. primarily attracts deposits from the general public and invests those funds in mortgage loans. The company also gets A’s in free cash flow. For more information, get Portfolio Grader’s complete analysis of SVBI 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.