As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q4. Today, we are looking at business process outsourcing & consulting stocks, starting with CBIZ (NYSE:CBZ).
The sector stands to benefit from ongoing digital transformation, increasing corporate demand for cost efficiencies, and the growing complexity of regulatory and cybersecurity landscapes. For those that invest wisely, AI and automation capabilities could emerge as competitive advantages, enhancing process efficiencies for the companies themselves as well as their clients. On the flip side, AI could be a headwind as well as the technology could lower the barrier to entry in the space and give rise to more self-service solutions. Additional challenges in the years ahead could include wage inflation for highly skilled consultants and potential regulatory scrutiny on outsourcing practices—especially in industries like finance and healthcare where who has access to certain data matters greatly.
The 8 business process outsourcing & consulting stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues along with next quarter’s revenue guidance were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.
Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 8.5% since the latest earnings results.
CBIZ (NYSE:CBZ)
With over 120 offices across 33 states and a team of more than 6,700 professionals, CBIZ (NYSE:CBZ) provides accounting, tax, benefits, insurance brokerage, and advisory services to help small and mid-sized businesses manage their finances and operations.
CBIZ reported revenues of $460.3 million, up 40.5% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 11.1%. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter for the company with full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.
Jerry Grisko, CBIZ President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "With the successful close of the Marcum transaction last November, we are excited for this new chapter in our Company's history and the opportunities it presents for our collective team members, clients, and CBIZ shareholders. With unmatched breadth of services and depth of expertise, CBIZ has solidified our position as the largest provider of professional services of our kind to middle-market businesses."
CBIZ scored the fastest revenue growth but had the weakest performance against analyst estimates and weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. Still, the market seems discontent with the results. The stock is down 11.9% since reporting and currently trades at $71.49.
Read our full report on CBIZ here, it’s free.
Best Q4: CRA (NASDAQ:CRAI)
Often retained for high-stakes matters with multibillion-dollar implications, CRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) provides economic, financial, and management consulting services to corporations, law firms, and government agencies for litigation, regulatory proceedings, and business strategy.
CRA reported revenues of $176.4 million, up 9.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 5.8%. The business had a stunning quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year revenue guidance beating analysts’ expectations.
CRA pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 11.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $166.15.
Is now the time to buy CRA? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
FTI Consulting (NYSE:FCN)
With a team of experts deployed across 30+ countries to tackle complex business challenges, FTI Consulting (NYSE:FCN) is a global business advisory firm that helps organizations manage change, mitigate risk, and resolve disputes across financial, legal, operational, and regulatory matters.
FTI Consulting reported revenues of $894.9 million, down 3.2% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.
FTI Consulting delivered the slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 17% since the results and currently trades at $157.78.
Read our full analysis of FTI Consulting’s results here.
Huron (NASDAQ:HURN)
Founded in 2002 during a time of significant regulatory change in corporate America, Huron Consulting Group (NASDAQ:HURN) is a professional services company that helps organizations develop growth strategies, optimize operations, and implement digital transformation solutions.
Huron reported revenues of $399.3 million, up 14.1% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.
The stock is up 11.7% since reporting and currently trades at $140.10.
Read our full, actionable report on Huron here, it’s free.
TaskUs (NASDAQ:TASK)
Starting as a virtual assistant service in 2008 before evolving into a global digital services provider, TaskUs (NASDAQ:TASK) provides outsourced digital services including customer experience management, content moderation, and AI data services to innovative technology companies.
TaskUs reported revenues of $274.2 million, up 17.1% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2%. Zooming out, it was a slower quarter as it recorded a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.
The stock is down 22.6% since reporting and currently trades at $12.10.
Read our full, actionable report on TaskUs here, it’s free.
Market Update
Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.
Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.
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