Investors interested in Business Services stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Experian PLC (EXPGY) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.
Experian PLC is a member of our Business Services group, which includes 259 different companies and currently sits at #6 in 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. Experian PLC is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EXPGY's full-year earnings has moved 0.5% higher within the past quarter. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.
Based on the most recent data, EXPGY has returned 8.3% so far this year. Meanwhile, stocks in the Business Services group have lost about 7.1% on average. This means that Experian PLC is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.
Another stock in the Business Services sector, FirstCash Holdings (FCFS), has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 54.3%.
For FirstCash Holdings, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
To break things down more, Experian PLC belongs to the Business - Information Services industry, a group that includes 8 individual companies and currently sits at #100 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 20.7% so far this year, meaning that EXPGY is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
In contrast, FirstCash Holdings falls under the Financial Transaction Services industry. Currently, this industry has 34 stocks and is ranked #145. Since the beginning of the year, the industry has moved -9.7%.
Investors with an interest in Business Services stocks should continue to track Experian PLC and FirstCash Holdings. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
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Experian PLC (EXPGY): Free Stock Analysis Report FirstCash Holdings, Inc. (FCFS): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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