The Business Services group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. HireQuest, Inc. (HQI) 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.
HireQuest, Inc. is one of 248 companies in the Business Services group. The Business Services group currently sits at #11 within 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 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. HireQuest, Inc. is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for HQI's full-year earnings has moved 53.8% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
According to our latest data, HQI has moved about 58.1% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Business Services companies have returned an average of -7.4%. This means that HireQuest, Inc. is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.
Repay Holdings (RPAY) is another Business Services stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 6.3%.
Over the past three months, Repay Holdings' consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 28.5%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Looking more specifically, HireQuest, Inc. belongs to the Staffing Firms industry, a group that includes 13 individual stocks and currently sits at #98 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 57.2% this year, meaning that HQI is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
Repay Holdings, however, belongs to the Financial Transaction Services industry. Currently, this 37-stock industry is ranked #164. The industry has moved -3.4% so far this year.
Investors interested in the Business Services sector may want to keep a close eye on HireQuest, Inc. and Repay Holdings as they attempt to continue their solid performance.
Research Chief Names "Single Best Pick to Double"
From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
This company targets millennial and Gen Z audiences, generating nearly $1 billion in revenue last quarter alone. A recent pullback makes now an ideal time to jump aboard. Of course, all our elite picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Nano-X Imaging which shot up +129.6% in little more than 9 months.
Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpWant the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
HireQuest, Inc. (HQI): Free Stock Analysis Report
Repay Holdings Corporation (RPAY): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).