Looking back on business process outsourcing & consulting stocks’ Q3 earnings, we examine this quarter’s best and worst performers, including CRA (NASDAQ: CRAI) 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 9 business process outsourcing & consulting stocks we track reported a strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.3% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 5.8% on average since the latest earnings results.

Best Q3: 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 $185.9 million, up 10.8% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3.6%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

“CRA continued its run of strong results into the third quarter of fiscal 2025 as revenue increased by 10.8% year over year to $185.9 million,” said Paul Maleh, CRA’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

Interestingly, the stock is up 16.3% since reporting and currently trades at $207.26.

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

Exponent (NASDAQ: EXPO)

With a team of over 800 consultants holding advanced degrees in 90+ technical disciplines, Exponent (NASDAQ: EXPO) is a science and engineering consulting firm that investigates complex problems and provides expert analysis for clients across various industries.

Exponent reported revenues of $137.1 million, up 9.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 4%. The business had a very strong quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Exponent pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 12.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $75.34.

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

Slowest Q3: 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 $2.55 billion, up 4.3% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 0.7%. Still, it was a slower quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

Concentrix delivered the weakest full-year guidance update in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 4.6% since the results and currently trades at $42.33.

Read our full analysis of Concentrix’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 $441.3 million, up 16.7% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2.3%. It was a very strong quarter as it also put up a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is up 14.2% since reporting and currently trades at $174.07.

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

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK)

From serving hot dogs at major league stadiums to managing college dining halls that feed thousands daily, Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) provides food services and facilities management to schools, healthcare facilities, businesses, sports venues, and correctional institutions across 16 countries.

Aramark reported revenues of $5.05 billion, up 14.3% year on year. This result lagged analysts' expectations by 2.1%. Overall, it was a slower quarter as it also produced a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 2% since reporting and currently trades at $38.79.

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

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