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3 Consulting Services Stocks to Consider Amid Industry Woes
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Economic strength, encouraging service activities, and the success of the work-from-home trend enable Zacks Consulting Services industry players to meet demand. Driven by these positives, investors interested in the industry would do well to consider stocks like Stantec Inc. (STN - Free Report) , CBIZ, Inc. (CBZ - Free Report) and Charles River Associates (CRAI - Free Report) in their portfolios.
About the Industry
Companies grouped under the Consulting Services category offer professional advice in management, IT, human resources, environmental regulations, logistics, marketing and real estate, serving multiple end markets. The space includes prominent names such as Accenture and Gartner. The industry focuses on channeling money and efforts toward more effective operational components, such as technology, digital transformation and data-driven decision-making. To position themselves suitably in the post-pandemic era and better utilize the opportunities that an economic recovery will bring, service providers are increasing their efforts to formulate and reassess strategic initiatives, identify sources of demand and target end markets.
What's Shaping the Future of the Consulting Services Industry?
Exponential Growth: This multi-billion-dollar industry has entered a trajectory of exponential expansion since the 2008 financial crisis, fueled by digital transformation and innovation-driven efficiencies. The trend has sustained steady revenues, profits and cash-flow growth, enabling most industry players to distribute stable dividends.
Economic Recovery: The sector is a major beneficiary of the broader economy and increasingly digital-driven service activities. According to the second estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the economy remained resilient, with GDP growing 1.6% in the first quarter of 2026 against a 0.5% increase in the fourth quarter of 2025. Non-manufacturing activities remained strong, as reflected in the April Services PMI, which stayed above the 50% threshold for the 22nd consecutive month.
Strong Demand Environment: The consulting services industry remains among the least disrupted by recent global uncertainties. Even in volatile conditions, organizations seek extensive guidance on safeguarding their workforce while strengthening ties with consumers and shareholders. The industry was an early pioneer of remote collaboration, now embedded in the new normal. Its work model allows players to operate efficiently, increasingly powered by AI-driven insights, digital platforms and agile delivery frameworks.
Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Weak Near-Term Prospects
The Consulting Services industry, which is housed within the broader Business Services sector, currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank of #190. This rank places it in the bottom 23% of 246 Zacks industries.
The group’s Zacks Industry Rank, which is the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates weak near-term growth prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than two to one.
Before we present a few stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio, let’s take a look at the industry’s recent stock market performance and current valuation.
Industry's Price Performance
The Consulting Services industry has underperformed the S&P 500 composite and the broader sector over the past 12 months.
The industry has declined 40.6% against the S&P 500 composite’s growth of 31.1%. The broader sector has declined 21.8% in the said time frame.
One-Year Price Performance
Industry's Current Valuation
On the basis of the forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E), which is a commonly used multiple for valuing consulting services companies, we see that the industry is currently trading at 14.67X, below the S&P 500’s 22.23X and the sector’s 17.38X.
Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 31.53X and as low as 14.39X, with a median of 26.15X, as the charts below show.
Price to Forward 12 Months P/E Ratio
3 Consulting Services Stocks to Consider
Stantec: The company provides professional services in infrastructure and facilities. It remains well-positioned for continued success, supported by industry resilience and effective internal strategies. STN benefits from strong macroeconomic and structural drivers while maintaining sharp execution on its projects, enabling margin expansion and earnings growth.
Stantec operates in a resilient sector shaped by long-term global needs, including water security, aging infrastructure, climate change response, advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies. These trends are expected to sustain strong project demand across regions.
Stantec’s consistent focus on high-quality project execution and addressing clients’ most urgent infrastructure and sustainability challenges supports steady growth. This disciplined approach continues to drive margin improvement and robust earnings performance.
Charles River Associates: Technologically advanced analytic techniques continue to raise both complexity and safety expectations, and Charles Riveris well-positioned to capitalize on these shifts. With a highly educated employee base and in-depth industry knowledge, the company delivered growth with high-quality analytical and strategic consulting services across diverse industries.
Presence across North America and Europe has been benefiting the company for long-term growth. This international footprint also fosters collaboration with leading professionals globally, further solidifying its expertise and appeal. Its Forensic Services practice continued to see strong demand across cybersecurity, fraud investigations, trade-secret disputes and litigation support. The Legal and Regulatory Services and Energy and Life Sciences Services are also witnessing strong growth, while the Finance practice remains a significant revenue generator across corporate governance disputes, mergers, bankruptcy matters, securities litigation, insurance cases, and international arbitration.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 EPS has increased 1.1% in the past 60 days to $8.52. CRAI also currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Price and Consensus: CRAI
CBIZ: With its service breadth and specialized expertise, this provider of financial, insurance and advisory services has established itself as one of the largest professional services providers for middle-market businesses, solidifying its competitive edge and long-term growth potential.
CBIZ is entering a strong growth phase, fueled by strategic expansion and a reinforced market position. The integration of Marcum has unlocked new synergies, enhanced service offerings, and strengthened relationships with clients and stakeholders. The Marcum transaction significantly expands CBIZ’s capabilities and client base, positioning the firm for broader market reach and cross-selling opportunities.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 EPS has increased 7.7% in the past 60 days to $4.07. CBIZ currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Price and Consensus: CBZ
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3 Consulting Services Stocks to Consider Amid Industry Woes
Economic strength, encouraging service activities, and the success of the work-from-home trend enable Zacks Consulting Services industry players to meet demand.
Driven by these positives, investors interested in the industry would do well to consider stocks like Stantec Inc. (STN - Free Report) , CBIZ, Inc. (CBZ - Free Report) and Charles River Associates (CRAI - Free Report) in their portfolios.
About the Industry
Companies grouped under the Consulting Services category offer professional advice in management, IT, human resources, environmental regulations, logistics, marketing and real estate, serving multiple end markets. The space includes prominent names such as Accenture and Gartner. The industry focuses on channeling money and efforts toward more effective operational components, such as technology, digital transformation and data-driven decision-making. To position themselves suitably in the post-pandemic era and better utilize the opportunities that an economic recovery will bring, service providers are increasing their efforts to formulate and reassess strategic initiatives, identify sources of demand and target end markets.
What's Shaping the Future of the Consulting Services Industry?
Exponential Growth: This multi-billion-dollar industry has entered a trajectory of exponential expansion since the 2008 financial crisis, fueled by digital transformation and innovation-driven efficiencies. The trend has sustained steady revenues, profits and cash-flow growth, enabling most industry players to distribute stable dividends.
Economic Recovery: The sector is a major beneficiary of the broader economy and increasingly digital-driven service activities. According to the second estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the economy remained resilient, with GDP growing 1.6% in the first quarter of 2026 against a 0.5% increase in the fourth quarter of 2025. Non-manufacturing activities remained strong, as reflected in the April Services PMI, which stayed above the 50% threshold for the 22nd consecutive month.
Strong Demand Environment: The consulting services industry remains among the least disrupted by recent global uncertainties. Even in volatile conditions, organizations seek extensive guidance on safeguarding their workforce while strengthening ties with consumers and shareholders. The industry was an early pioneer of remote collaboration, now embedded in the new normal. Its work model allows players to operate efficiently, increasingly powered by AI-driven insights, digital platforms and agile delivery frameworks.
Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Weak Near-Term Prospects
The Consulting Services industry, which is housed within the broader Business Services sector, currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank of #190. This rank places it in the bottom 23% of 246 Zacks industries.
The group’s Zacks Industry Rank, which is the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates weak near-term growth prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than two to one.
Before we present a few stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio, let’s take a look at the industry’s recent stock market performance and current valuation.
Industry's Price Performance
The Consulting Services industry has underperformed the S&P 500 composite and the broader sector over the past 12 months.
The industry has declined 40.6% against the S&P 500 composite’s growth of 31.1%. The broader sector has declined 21.8% in the said time frame.
One-Year Price Performance
Industry's Current Valuation
On the basis of the forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E), which is a commonly used multiple for valuing consulting services companies, we see that the industry is currently trading at 14.67X, below the S&P 500’s 22.23X and the sector’s 17.38X.
Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 31.53X and as low as 14.39X, with a median of 26.15X, as the charts below show.
Price to Forward 12 Months P/E Ratio
3 Consulting Services Stocks to Consider
Stantec: The company provides professional services in infrastructure and facilities. It remains well-positioned for continued success, supported by industry resilience and effective internal strategies. STN benefits from strong macroeconomic and structural drivers while maintaining sharp execution on its projects, enabling margin expansion and earnings growth.
Stantec operates in a resilient sector shaped by long-term global needs, including water security, aging infrastructure, climate change response, advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies. These trends are expected to sustain strong project demand across regions.
Stantec’s consistent focus on high-quality project execution and addressing clients’ most urgent infrastructure and sustainability challenges supports steady growth. This disciplined approach continues to drive margin improvement and robust earnings performance.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 EPS has increased 0.5% in the past 60 days to $4.50. STN currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Price and Consensus: STN
Charles River Associates: Technologically advanced analytic techniques continue to raise both complexity and safety expectations, and Charles Riveris well-positioned to capitalize on these shifts. With a highly educated employee base and in-depth industry knowledge, the company delivered growth with high-quality analytical and strategic consulting services across diverse industries.
Presence across North America and Europe has been benefiting the company for long-term growth. This international footprint also fosters collaboration with leading professionals globally, further solidifying its expertise and appeal. Its Forensic Services practice continued to see strong demand across cybersecurity, fraud investigations, trade-secret disputes and litigation support. The Legal and Regulatory Services and Energy and Life Sciences Services are also witnessing strong growth, while the Finance practice remains a significant revenue generator across corporate governance disputes, mergers, bankruptcy matters, securities litigation, insurance cases, and international arbitration.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 EPS has increased 1.1% in the past 60 days to $8.52. CRAI also currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Price and Consensus: CRAI
CBIZ: With its service breadth and specialized expertise, this provider of financial, insurance and advisory services has established itself as one of the largest professional services providers for middle-market businesses, solidifying its competitive edge and long-term growth potential.
CBIZ is entering a strong growth phase, fueled by strategic expansion and a reinforced market position. The integration of Marcum has unlocked new synergies, enhanced service offerings, and strengthened relationships with clients and stakeholders. The Marcum transaction significantly expands CBIZ’s capabilities and client base, positioning the firm for broader market reach and cross-selling opportunities.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 EPS has increased 7.7% in the past 60 days to $4.07. CBIZ currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Price and Consensus: CBZ