For those looking to find strong Business Services stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Huron Consulting (HURN) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Business Services peers, we might be able to answer that question.
Huron Consulting is one of 288 companies in the Business Services group. The Business Services group currently sits at #9 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.
The Zacks Rank emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. Huron Consulting is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for HURN's full-year earnings has moved 3.4% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.
Our latest available data shows that HURN has returned about 20.4% since the start of the calendar year. In comparison, Business Services companies have returned an average of 5.9%. This shows that Huron Consulting is outperforming its peers so far this year.
Another stock in the Business Services sector, Logility Supply Chain Solutions (LGTY), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 27.5%.
Over the past three months, Logility Supply Chain Solutions' consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 33.3%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Huron Consulting belongs to the Consulting Services industry, which includes 13 individual stocks and currently sits at #197 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 3% so far this year, meaning that HURN is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
Logility Supply Chain Solutions, however, belongs to the Technology Services industry. Currently, this 152-stock industry is ranked #74. The industry has moved +5.5% so far this year.
Going forward, investors interested in Business Services stocks should continue to pay close attention to Huron Consulting and Logility Supply Chain Solutions as they could maintain their solid performance.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Huron Consulting Group Inc. (HURN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Logility Supply Chain Solutions, Inc. (LGTY) : Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
Zacks Investment Research
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.