We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights: comScore, General Finance Corp and WNS (Holdings)
Read MoreHide Full Article
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – March 1, 2021 – Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses Business Services, including comScore, Inc. (SCOR - Free Report) , General Finance Corporation and WNS (Holdings) Limited (WNS - Free Report) .
Rise in manufacturing and service activities, along with the increased adoption and success of the work-from-home trend, is enabling the Zacks Business-Services industry to support the demand environment that is getting healthier with the gradual economic recovery.However,the industry is still significantly weak when compared with the pre-pandemic level.
Service essentiality, innovation and technology enhancements are helping comScore, General Finance Corp. and WNS (Holdings) Ltd. to sail through these testing times.
About the Industry
The Zacks Business-Services industry comprises companies that offer a range of services, including specialty rental, supply-chain management, electronic commerce, technology, document management, digital audience, data, voice, analytical, and business transformation among others.
What’s Shaping the Future of the Business Services Industry?
Demand Stability: The industry is mature with demand for services being in good shape over time. Revenues, income and cash flows have been increasing for the past few years, backing most industry players to pay out stable dividends.
Economic Recovery: With the coronavirus pandemic disrupting the economy, demand for business services has dropped in the past few months. However, with the economy gradually swinging back to normalcy, and both manufacturing and service activities gathering steam, demand is anticipated to pick up steadily. Although manufacturing activities edged down 1.8% from December to January, with the Manufacturing PMI measured by Institute for Supply Management (ISM) touching 58.7%, the reading stayed well above 50 — reflecting growth in the manufacturing sector.
This is the eighth consecutive month of expansion after contraction in March, April, and May. Notably, economic activity in the non-manufacturing sector expanded 1% from December to January as the Services PMI measured by ISM touched 58.7%. This is the eighth consecutive month of expansion after April’s contraction that had interrupted an impressive growth rally of 132 consecutive months.
Heightening Immigration Restrictions: Higher talent costs due to a competitive talent market and restrictions on immigration amid the pandemic will continue being headwinds for the industry. Further, service providers face regulatory hurdles and compliance-related issues due to operations spread across the globe.
Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Dull Prospects
The Business-Services Industry is housed within the broader Business Services sector. It carries a Zacks Industry Rank #176, which places it in the bottom 30% of more than 250 Zacks industries.
The group’s Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates underperformance in the near term. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
The sell-side analysts covering the companies in this industry have been steadily lowering their estimates. In the past year, the industry’s consensus earnings estimate for 2021 has moved 34.4% south.
Despite the gloomy prospects, we present a few stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio. Nonetheless, prior to that, it’s worth taking a look at the industry’s performance and current valuation.
Industry Underperforms the S&P 500 and Sector
The Zacks Business-Services industry has underperformed the S&P 500 composite as well as the broader Zacks Business Services sector over the past year.
The industry has rallied 5.9% during this period as against the S&P 500 composite’s rally of 34.1% and the broader sector’s growth of 6.1%.
Industry’s Current Valuation
On the basis of the forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, which is commonly used for valuing business-services stocks, the industry is currently trading at 29.99 compared with the S&P 500’s 22.15 and the sector’s 29.8.
Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 30.89X, as low as 18.81X and at the median of 21.65X.
comScore, Inc. : It isan information and analytics company that measures audiences, consumer behavior, and advertising across media platforms globally. comScore continues to innovate and develop new measurement products and services, and new relationships in the advertising space. The company’s local and television businesses, and core digital services are in good shape.
comScore currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the 2021 EPS has moved 13.3% north in 60 days’ time. Shares of the company have rallied 25.9% in the past year.
General Finance Corp.: The company is a provider of portable storage, modular space and liquid containment solutions. Its business has been considered essential and therefore, remained open across all of the company’s locations working under flexible work practices. General Finance has seen strength in its core container business amid the pandemic and implemented cost-containment measures.
General Finance carries Zacks Rank #3, at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current-year EPS has moved up 50% in the past 60 days. The stock has appreciated 30.6% in a year’s time.
WNS (Holdings) Ltd.: The company offers data, voice and analytical and business transformation services. While the pandemic has had a negative impact on the firm’s top line, its margins and free cash flow are healthy. This is mainly because WNS has successfully synced its delivery model with the work-from-home approach.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the ongoing year’s EPS has been revised 10.2% upward over the past 60 days. The stock has gained 15.8% over the past year. WNS carries Zacks Rank #3, currently.
Just Released: Zacks’ 7 Best Stocks for Today
Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that have beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.9% per year.
These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout.
Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
See More Zacks Research for These Tickers
Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:
Image: Bigstock
Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights: comScore, General Finance Corp and WNS (Holdings)
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – March 1, 2021 – Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses Business Services, including comScore, Inc. (SCOR - Free Report) , General Finance Corporation and WNS (Holdings) Limited (WNS - Free Report) .
Link: https://www.zacks.com/commentary/1270014/3-business-services-stocks-worth-a-look-amid-pandemic-blues
Rise in manufacturing and service activities, along with the increased adoption and success of the work-from-home trend, is enabling the Zacks Business-Services industry to support the demand environment that is getting healthier with the gradual economic recovery.However,the industry is still significantly weak when compared with the pre-pandemic level.
Service essentiality, innovation and technology enhancements are helping comScore, General Finance Corp. and WNS (Holdings) Ltd. to sail through these testing times.
About the Industry
The Zacks Business-Services industry comprises companies that offer a range of services, including specialty rental, supply-chain management, electronic commerce, technology, document management, digital audience, data, voice, analytical, and business transformation among others.
What’s Shaping the Future of the Business Services Industry?
Demand Stability: The industry is mature with demand for services being in good shape over time. Revenues, income and cash flows have been increasing for the past few years, backing most industry players to pay out stable dividends.
Economic Recovery: With the coronavirus pandemic disrupting the economy, demand for business services has dropped in the past few months. However, with the economy gradually swinging back to normalcy, and both manufacturing and service activities gathering steam, demand is anticipated to pick up steadily. Although manufacturing activities edged down 1.8% from December to January, with the Manufacturing PMI measured by Institute for Supply Management (ISM) touching 58.7%, the reading stayed well above 50 — reflecting growth in the manufacturing sector.
This is the eighth consecutive month of expansion after contraction in March, April, and May. Notably, economic activity in the non-manufacturing sector expanded 1% from December to January as the Services PMI measured by ISM touched 58.7%. This is the eighth consecutive month of expansion after April’s contraction that had interrupted an impressive growth rally of 132 consecutive months.
Heightening Immigration Restrictions: Higher talent costs due to a competitive talent market and restrictions on immigration amid the pandemic will continue being headwinds for the industry. Further, service providers face regulatory hurdles and compliance-related issues due to operations spread across the globe.
Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Dull Prospects
The Business-Services Industry is housed within the broader Business Services sector. It carries a Zacks Industry Rank #176, which places it in the bottom 30% of more than 250 Zacks industries.
The group’s Industry Rank, which is basically the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates underperformance in the near term. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
The sell-side analysts covering the companies in this industry have been steadily lowering their estimates. In the past year, the industry’s consensus earnings estimate for 2021 has moved 34.4% south.
Despite the gloomy prospects, we present a few stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio. Nonetheless, prior to that, it’s worth taking a look at the industry’s performance and current valuation.
Industry Underperforms the S&P 500 and Sector
The Zacks Business-Services industry has underperformed the S&P 500 composite as well as the broader Zacks Business Services sector over the past year.
The industry has rallied 5.9% during this period as against the S&P 500 composite’s rally of 34.1% and the broader sector’s growth of 6.1%.
Industry’s Current Valuation
On the basis of the forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, which is commonly used for valuing business-services stocks, the industry is currently trading at 29.99 compared with the S&P 500’s 22.15 and the sector’s 29.8.
Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 30.89X, as low as 18.81X and at the median of 21.65X.
3 Business Services Stocks to Consider
We are presenting three stocks that currently carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) or a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), and are well poised to grow in the near term. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
comScore, Inc. : It isan information and analytics company that measures audiences, consumer behavior, and advertising across media platforms globally. comScore continues to innovate and develop new measurement products and services, and new relationships in the advertising space. The company’s local and television businesses, and core digital services are in good shape.
comScore currently carries a Zacks Rank of 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the 2021 EPS has moved 13.3% north in 60 days’ time. Shares of the company have rallied 25.9% in the past year.
General Finance Corp.: The company is a provider of portable storage, modular space and liquid containment solutions. Its business has been considered essential and therefore, remained open across all of the company’s locations working under flexible work practices. General Finance has seen strength in its core container business amid the pandemic and implemented cost-containment measures.
General Finance carries Zacks Rank #3, at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current-year EPS has moved up 50% in the past 60 days. The stock has appreciated 30.6% in a year’s time.
WNS (Holdings) Ltd.: The company offers data, voice and analytical and business transformation services. While the pandemic has had a negative impact on the firm’s top line, its margins and free cash flow are healthy. This is mainly because WNS has successfully synced its delivery model with the work-from-home approach.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the ongoing year’s EPS has been revised 10.2% upward over the past 60 days. The stock has gained 15.8% over the past year. WNS carries Zacks Rank #3, currently.
Just Released: Zacks’ 7 Best Stocks for Today
Experts extracted 7 stocks from the list of 220 Zacks Rank #1 Strong Buys that have beaten the market more than 2X over with a stunning average gain of +24.9% per year.
These 7 were selected because of their superior potential for immediate breakout.
See these time-sensitive tickers now >>
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Zacks-Investment-Research/57553657748?ref=ts
Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
Media Contact
Zacks Investment Research
800-767-3771 ext. 9339
support@zacks.com
https://www.zacks.com
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.