Are Business Services Stocks Lagging Crawford & Company (CRD.B) This Year?
The Business Services group has plenty of great stocks, but investors should always be looking for companies that are outperforming their peers. Crawford & Company B (CRD.B) 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.
Crawford & Company B is one of 344 companies in the Business Services group. The Business Services group currently sits at #4 within the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different groups, measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the sector to gauge the strength of each group.
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. Crawford & Company B is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for CRD.B's full-year earnings has moved 8.2% higher. This is a sign of improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook trend.
According to our latest data, CRD.B has moved about 50.7% on a year-to-date basis. In comparison, Business Services companies have returned an average of 2.5%. This shows that Crawford & Company B is outperforming its peers so far this year.
Accenture (ACN) is another Business Services stock that has outperformed the sector so far this year. Since the beginning of the year, the stock has returned 2.7%.
For Accenture, the consensus EPS estimate for the current year has increased 0.8% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Breaking things down more, Crawford & Company B is a member of the Business - Services industry, which includes 25 individual companies and currently sits at #15 in the Zacks Industry Rank. This group has gained an average of 10.7% so far this year, so CRD.B is performing better in this area.
On the other hand, Accenture belongs to the Consulting Services industry. This 15-stock industry is currently ranked #30. The industry has moved +2.2% year to date.
Investors with an interest in Business Services stocks should continue to track Crawford & Company B and Accenture. These stocks will be looking to continue their solid performance.
Want 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
Crawford & Company (CRD.B) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Accenture PLC (ACN) : Free Stock Analysis Report