The Business Services group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Has FTI Consulting (FCN) been one of those stocks this year? 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.
FTI Consulting is one of 234 companies in the Business Services group. The Business Services group currently sits at #9 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.
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. FTI Consulting is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).
Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for FCN's full-year earnings has moved 1.1% higher. This means that analyst sentiment is stronger and the stock's earnings outlook is improving.
Our latest available data shows that FCN has returned about 8.4% since the start of the calendar year. Meanwhile, the Business Services sector has returned an average of -9.9% on a year-to-date basis. This means that FTI Consulting is performing better than its sector in terms of year-to-date returns.
One other Business Services stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year is Sezzle Inc. (SEZL). The stock is up 25.6% year-to-date.
Over the past three months, Sezzle Inc.'s consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 7.3%. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
To break things down more, FTI Consulting belongs to the Consulting Services industry, a group that includes 13 individual companies and currently sits at #71 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, this group has lost an average of 19.3% so far this year, meaning that FCN is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.
Sezzle Inc., however, belongs to the Financial Transaction Services industry. Currently, this 36-stock industry is ranked #150. The industry has moved -17% so far this year.
Investors with an interest in Business Services stocks should continue to track FTI Consulting and Sezzle Inc.. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).