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4 Business Services Stocks Most Wall Street Analysts Are Bullish About

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The year 2022 didn’t go well for the business services sector as supply chain disruptions and labor market constraints continued, and inflationary pressure loomed large. Over the past year, the broader Business Services sector has declined 42.7% and currently carries a Zacks Sector Rank #11, which places it in the bottom 32% of 11 Zacks Sectors.

While investors eagerly wait for the New Year in the hopes of seeing reduced inflation, lower recessionary fears and a normalized supply chain, the current situation has highlighted the need for stocks that have the potential to perform well amid the market volatility.

One of the safest ways to hop on a price appreciation opportunity is to go by Wall Street recommendations and follow experts’ advice. Based on that, Rentokil Initial plc (RTO - Free Report) , Futu Holdings Limited (FUTU - Free Report) , Instructure Holdings, Inc. (INST - Free Report) and Insperity, Inc. (NSP - Free Report) are our picks as they have a solid Zacks Rank and robust average broker rating.

But before we delve deeper into the stocks we have identified, let’s have a quick glimpse of how the sector is currently faring.

Business Services Sector Dynamics

The sector is a major beneficiary of the manufacturing and service activities. Both manufacturing and service activities have been in pink over the past year. Factors such as the essentiality of certain services like waste management, rise in demand for risk mitigation and consulting services, increased expertise in improving operational efficiency and lower costs, successful work-from-home models and digital transformation have helped the sector partially offset the impacts of high inflationary pressure and a challenging macroeconomic environment.

The pandemic will continue to change the way sector players have conducted businesses and delivered services so far. Currently, the key focus within the sector is on channelizing money and efforts toward more effective operational components, such as technology, digital transformation, data-driven decision-making and enhanced cybersecurity.

4 Analyst Suggested Business Services Stocks for 2023

Rentokil: This provider of pest control, cleaning, hygiene and waste management services is currently carrying a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

It has an average brokerage recommendation (ABR) of 1.14 on a scale of 1 to 5 (Strong Buy to Strong Sell). ABR is the calculated average of actual recommendations made by brokerage firms and portends the future potential of the stock. Strong Buy and Buy account for 85.7% and 14.3% of all recommendations, respectively.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Rentokil’s 2023 earnings is pegged at $1.54, implying 27.4% year-over-year growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has moved up 6.2% in the past 30 days. The stock has gained 16.6% in the past three months.

Futu: This operator of online brokerage and wealth management platform also carries a Zacks Rank #1. It has an ABR of 1.4 on a scale of 1 to 5. Strong Buy accounts for 80% of all recommendations.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Futu’s 2023 earnings is pegged at $3.28, implying 32.5% year-over-year growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has moved up 3.1% in the past 30 days. The stock has appreciated 55.9% in the past three months.

Instructure: This provider of cloud-based learning, assessment, development, and engagement systems carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). It has an ABR of 1.43 on a scale of 1 to 5. Strong Buy and Buy account for 71.4% and 14.3% of all recommendations, respectively.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Instructure 2023 earnings is pegged at $1.2, indicating 10.5% year-over-year growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has remained unchanged in the past 30 days. The stock has appreciated 55.9% in the past three months.

Insperity: This provider of human resources and business solutions also carries a Zacks Rank #2. It has an ABR of 1 on a scale of 1 to 5. Strong Buy accounts for 100% of all recommendations. The stock has gained 5.9% in the past three months.

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