Investors interested in Business Services stocks should always be looking to find the best-performing companies in the group. Bowman Consulting (BWMN) 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? A quick glance at the company's year-to-date performance in comparison to the rest of the Business Services sector should help us answer this question.
Bowman Consulting is one of 259 individual stocks in the Business Services sector. Collectively, these companies sit at #6 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank includes 16 different groups and is listed in order from best to worst in terms of the average Zacks Rank of the individual companies within each of these sectors.
The Zacks Rank is a proven system that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions, highlighting a variety of stocks that are displaying the right characteristics to beat the market over the next one to three months. Bowman Consulting is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for BWMN's full-year earnings has moved 6.4% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
Based on the most recent data, BWMN has returned 39.4% so far this year. In comparison, Business Services companies have returned an average of -8.4%. This shows that Bowman Consulting is outperforming its peers so far this year.
One other Business Services stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Sims Metal Management Ltd. (SMSMY). The stock is up 34.4% year-to-date.
The consensus estimate for Sims Metal Management Ltd.'s current year EPS has increased 24.4% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, Bowman Consulting belongs to the Business - Services industry, which includes 27 individual stocks and currently sits at #61 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have lost 9.7% this year, meaning that BWMN is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
Sims Metal Management Ltd., however, belongs to the Waste Removal Services industry. Currently, this 22-stock industry is ranked #80. The industry has moved -1.2% so far this year.
Going forward, investors interested in Business Services stocks should continue to pay close attention to Bowman Consulting and Sims Metal Management Ltd. as they could maintain their solid performance.
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Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. (BWMN): Free Stock Analysis Report Sims Metal Management Ltd. (SMSMY): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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