For those looking to find strong Business Services stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Huron Consulting (HURN) 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.
Huron Consulting is a member of our Business Services group, which includes 259 different companies and currently sits at #5 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. 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 1.2% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
Our latest available data shows that HURN has returned about 33.2% since the start of the calendar year. At the same time, Business Services stocks have lost an average of 10.6%. This shows that Huron Consulting is outperforming its peers so far this year.
One other Business Services stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is MediaAlpha, Inc. (MAX). The stock is up 10% year-to-date.
In MediaAlpha, Inc.'s case, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year increased 19% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
To break things down more, Huron Consulting belongs to the Consulting Services industry, a group that includes 13 individual companies and currently sits at #58 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 29.3% so far this year, meaning that HURN is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
MediaAlpha, Inc., however, belongs to the Technology Services industry. Currently, this 124-stock industry is ranked #76. The industry has moved +19.5% so far this year.
Investors with an interest in Business Services stocks should continue to track Huron Consulting and MediaAlpha, Inc.. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
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Huron Consulting Group Inc. (HURN): Free Stock Analysis Report MediaAlpha, Inc. (MAX): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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