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6 Reasons Why You Should Bet on ICF International (ICFI)

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ICF International, Inc. (ICFI - Free Report) is a government services provider that has performed extremely well over the past year and has the potential to sustain the momentum in the near term. Consequently, if you haven’t taken advantage of the share price appreciation yet, it’s time you add the stock to your portfolio.

What Makes ICF International an Attractive Pick?

An Outperformer: A glimpse of the company’s price trend reveals that the stock has had an impressive run on the bourse in the past year. Shares of ICF have returned 37.2%, significantly outperforming the 4.2% growth of the industry it belongs to.

Solid Rank: ICF has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a Value Growth Momentum Score (VGM Score) of A. Our research shows that stocks with a VGM Score of A or B when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2, offer the best investment opportunities. Thus, the company is a compelling investment proposition at the moment. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Northward Estimate Revisions: The direction of estimate revisions serves as an important pointer when it comes to the price of a stock. Three estimates for 2021 moved north over the past 60 days versus no southward revision, reflecting analysts’ confidence in the company. Over the same period, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2021 earnings has climbed 4.3%.

Positive Earnings Surprise History: ICF has an impressive earnings surprise history. The company outpaced the consensus mark in all of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 23.5%.

Strong Growth Prospects: The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2021 earnings is currently pegged at $4.81 per share, indicating year-over-year growth of 15.4%.

Growth Factors: ICF has a broad global presence with 56 regional offices across the United States and 22 offices outside the country. It serves a diverse set of markets, including energy, environment, infrastructure, air transport, healthcare, interactive technology, marketing and e-commerce. This, in turn, has helped the company to improve its knowledge base and functional expertise over time.

ICF continues to witness increase in demand for its advisory services, driven by trends such as increased government focus on environmental initiatives; emphasis on transparency and accountability; efficiency and mission performance management; generational changes; and increased demand for integrating domain knowledge of client mission and programs with innovative technology-enabled solutions. The company is also seeing growth opportunities for technology-based solutions like digital services and strategic communications across all the markets it serves.

Other Stocks to Consider

Some other top-ranked stocks in the broader Zacks Business Services sector are Avis Budget (CAR - Free Report) , Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. (CCRN - Free Report) and CRA International, Inc. (CRAI - Free Report) .

Avis Budget has an expected earnings growth rate of around 453.5% for the current year. CAR has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 76.9%, on average.

Avis Budget’s shares have surged 571.6% in the past year. CAR has a long-term earnings growth of 18.8%. CAR sport a Zacks #1 Rank.

Cross Country Healthcare has an expected earnings growth rate of around 500% for the current year. CCRN has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 75%, on average.

Cross Country Healthcare’s shares have surged 176.9% in the past year. CCRN has a long-term earnings growth of 21.5%. CCRN sport a Zacks #1 Rank.

CRA International has an expected earnings growth rate of around 61.2% for the current year. CRA International has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 51%, on average.

CRA International’s shares have surged 85.2% in the past year. CRA International has a long-term earnings growth of 15.5%. CRAI carries a Zacks #2 Rank.

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