3 Services Stocks Facing Headwinds
Investors should tread carefully as many of these companies are also cyclical, and any misstep can have you catching a falling knife. Keeping that in mind, here are three services stocks best left ignored.
Market Cap: $1.59 billion
Operating at the intersection of policy, technology, and implementation for over five decades, ICF International (NASDAQ:ICFI) provides professional consulting services and technology solutions to government agencies and commercial clients across energy, health, environment, and security sectors.
Why Do We Avoid ICFI?
Sales pipeline suggests its future revenue growth may not meet our standards as its average backlog growth of 1.6% for the past two years was weak
Sales are projected to tank by 7.1% over the next 12 months as demand evaporates
5.2 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last five years reflects the company's increased investments to defend its market position
ICF International is trading at $86.10 per share, or 12.4x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including ICFI in your portfolio, it's free.
Market Cap: $1.81 billion
Powering billions of critical customer interactions annually, CSG Systems (NASDAQ:CSGS) provides cloud-based software platforms that help companies manage customer interactions, process payments, and monetize their services.
Why Do We Pass on CSGS?
3.4% annual revenue growth over the last two years was slower than its business services peers
Anticipated sales growth of 2.2% for the next year implies demand will be shaky
Shrinking returns on capital from an already weak position reveal that neither previous nor ongoing investments are yielding the desired results
At $67.09 per share, CSG trades at 13.7x forward P/E. If you're considering CSGS for your portfolio, see our FREE research report to learn more.
Market Cap: $42.18 billion
Processing over 2.8 billion insurance transaction records annually through one of the world's largest private databases, Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ:VRSK) provides data, analytics, and technology solutions that help insurance companies assess risk, detect fraud, and make better business decisions.
Why Do We Think Twice About VRSK?
1.9% annual revenue growth over the last five years was slower than its business services peers
Earnings growth over the last two years fell short of the peer group average as its EPS only increased by 8.8% annually
Verisk's stock price of $301.79 implies a valuation ratio of 41.7x forward P/E. To fully understand why you should be careful with VRSK, check out our full research report (it's free).
The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump's presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025.
While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we're homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver's seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 176% over the last five years.
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.
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