Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q2 behind us, let’s have a look at Huron (NASDAQ: HURN) and its peers.

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 7 business process outsourcing & consulting stocks we track reported a strong Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.2% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

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 $411.8 million, up 8.1% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 0.6%, but it was still a strong quarter for the company with full-year revenue guidance topping analysts’ expectations and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

“Revenues before reimbursable expenses (RBR) in the quarter grew 8% compared to the second quarter of 2024, including organic RBR growth across all three operating segments,” said Mark Hussey, chief executive officer and president of Huron.

Huron scored the highest full-year guidance raise of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 7% since reporting and currently trades at $141.59.

We think Huron is a good business, but is it a buy today? Read our full report here, it’s free.

Best Q2: 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 $943.7 million, flat year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.4%. The business had a very strong quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year revenue guidance slightly topping analysts’ expectations.

Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 2.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $163.89.

Is now the time to buy FTI Consulting? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q2: Concentrix (NASDAQ: CNXC)

With a team of approximately 450,000 employees across 75 countries, Concentrix (NASDAQ: CNXC) designs and delivers customer experience solutions that help global brands manage their customer interactions across digital channels and contact centers.

Concentrix reported revenues of $2.42 billion, up 1.5% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. Still, it was a mixed quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is flat since the results and currently trades at $54.76.

Read our full analysis of Concentrix’s results here.

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 $186.9 million, up 9% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 3.6%. It was a strong quarter as it also recorded full-year revenue guidance topping analysts’ expectations and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

CRA scored the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The stock is up 18.2% since reporting and currently trades at $204.93.

Read our full, actionable report on CRA here, it’s free.

Genpact (NYSE: G)

Originally spun off from General Electric in 2005 to provide business process services, Genpact (NYSE: G) is a global professional services firm that helps businesses transform their operations through digital technology, AI, and data analytics solutions.

Genpact reported revenues of $1.25 billion, up 6.6% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also put up a solid beat of analysts’ constant currency revenue estimates and a decent beat of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

Genpact had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $41.33.

Read our full, actionable report on Genpact here, it’s free.

Market Update

The Fed’s interest rate hikes throughout 2022 and 2023 have successfully cooled post-pandemic inflation, bringing it closer to the 2% target. Inflationary pressures have eased without tipping the economy into a recession, suggesting a soft landing. This stability, paired with recent rate cuts (0.5% in September 2024 and 0.25% in November 2024), fueled a strong year for the stock market in 2024. The markets surged further after Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November, with major indices reaching record highs in the days following the election. Still, questions remain about the direction of economic policy, as potential tariffs and corporate tax changes add uncertainty for 2025.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

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