Now you can get access to the latest and highest-quality analysis of recent Wall Street buying and selling ideas with just one subscription to Beyond the Wall Investing ! There is a free trial and a special discount of 10% for you. Join us today!Daniel Sereda is chief investment analyst at a family office whose investments span continents and diverse asset classes. This requires him to navigate through a plethora of information on a daily basis. His expertise is in filtering this wealth of data to extract t ...

Group 1 - Willdan Group (WLDN) has significantly outperformed its peers in the Business Services sector, returning approximately 156.2% year-to-date, while the average return for Business Services companies is -10.2% [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Willdan Group's full-year earnings has increased by 12.5% over the past three months, indicating a positive trend in analyst sentiment [4] - Willdan Group currently holds a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), suggesting a strong earnings outlook compared to its peers [3] Group 2 - Willdan Group is part of the Business - Services industry, which consists of 26 individual stocks and currently ranks 43 in the Zacks Industry Rank, with an average loss of 9.6% this year [6] - Xylem (XYL), another stock in the Business Services sector, has returned 20.2% year-to-date and has a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5] - The Waste Removal Services industry, to which Xylem belongs, is ranked 97 and has seen a slight increase of 0.7% this year [6] Group 3 - Investors should continue to monitor both Willdan Group and Xylem for their potential to maintain strong performance in the Business Services sector [7]

Core Insights - Willdan Group, Inc. (WLDN) announced the acquisition of Compass Municipal Advisors, LLC, set to complete on January 1, 2026, enhancing its advisory capabilities and market reach [1][3] Acquisition Details - Compass has over a decade of experience in assisting local governments with funding and modernizing infrastructure, aligning with Willdan's mission to support public entities in making informed financial decisions [2] - The acquisition will provide Willdan access to new markets, particularly in South Carolina and Kentucky, and strengthen its advisory services in high-demand areas such as water systems and transportation upgrades [2][3] Strategic Growth - Willdan's leadership emphasized the cultural alignment and shared purpose between the two firms, which will enhance resources, analytical depth, and service offerings for public agencies [3] - The acquisition is part of Willdan's broader inorganic growth strategy, which includes targeted acquisitions to expand service offerings and deepen sector expertise [5][8] Recent Acquisitions - In January 2025, Willdan acquired Alpha Inspections, Inc., enhancing its municipal services and regulatory compliance capabilities [6] - On March 3, 2025, Willdan purchased Alternative Power Generation, Inc. (APG), which provides electric power solutions for various infrastructure projects, contributing $4.8 million in revenues during the third quarter [7][8] Market Performance - Following the acquisition announcement, WLDN shares rose by 4.5% during trading hours [4] - Over the past six months, WLDN shares have surged by 91.7%, significantly outperforming the Zacks Business - Services industry, which saw a decline of 22.3% [9]

Willdan Group (NASDAQ:WLDN – Get Free Report) and Itex (OTCMKTS:ITEX – Get Free Report) are both small-cap business services companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends, valuation and earnings. Get Willdan Group alerts: ProfitabilityThis table compares Willdan Group and Itex’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.Net MarginsReturn on EquityRetur ...

Core Viewpoint - Willdan Group, Inc. is expanding its financial services through the acquisition of Compass Municipal Advisors, which will enhance its service offerings and geographic reach in the municipal advisory sector [1][2]. Company Overview - Willdan Group, Inc. is a nationwide provider of professional technical and consulting services, focusing on utilities, government agencies, and private industry [4]. - The company offers a wide range of services, including electric grid solutions, energy efficiency, sustainability, energy policy planning, engineering, and municipal financial consulting [4]. Acquisition Details - Willdan Financial Services has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Compass Municipal Advisors, an independent municipal advisory firm based in the Southeastern US [1]. - Compass specializes in assisting public agencies with financial challenges related to infrastructure rehabilitation and capital project development [1][3]. - The acquisition is expected to close on January 1, 2026, pending customary closing conditions [1]. Strategic Benefits - The partnership with Compass will enhance Willdan's resources and capabilities, allowing for broader data-driven guidance to public agencies [2]. - The acquisition will complement Willdan's existing financial and technical expertise while expanding its geographic reach [2].

Core Viewpoint - Willdan Group (WLDN) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), indicating a positive outlook driven by an upward trend in earnings estimates [1][3]. Earnings Estimates and Stock Price Impact - The Zacks rating system emphasizes the importance of earnings estimate revisions, which are strongly correlated with stock price movements [4][6]. - Institutional investors often react to changes in earnings estimates, leading to significant stock price movements based on their buying or selling activities [4]. Company Performance and Outlook - The upgrade reflects an improvement in Willdan's underlying business, suggesting that investors may push the stock price higher due to this positive trend [5]. - For the fiscal year ending December 2025, Willdan is expected to earn $4.13 per share, with a 12.5% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate over the past three months [8]. Zacks Rank System - The Zacks Rank system classifies stocks into five groups based on earnings estimates, with Zacks Rank 1 stocks historically generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988 [7]. - Willdan's upgrade places it in the top 5% of Zacks-covered stocks, indicating a strong potential for market-beating returns in the near term [10].

Core Insights - Alameda County, California, has awarded Willdan Group, Inc. a $97 million contract for energy and infrastructure upgrades [1] - The contract focuses on energy savings performance and includes electrification of major HVAC systems, solar PV generation, EV charging stations, and other efficiency upgrades [1] - The project aims to reduce annual carbon emissions across 24 sites [1]

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Core Viewpoint - Willdan Group (WLDN) reported strong Q3 earnings, leading to a significant recovery in its share price after a previous decline [1] Financial Performance - The company’s Q3 earnings were described as "stellar," indicating a robust financial performance that positively impacted investor sentiment [1] Investment Strategy - The analysis reflects a long-term investment approach, focusing on a diversified portfolio that includes growth, value, and dividend-paying stocks, with a particular emphasis on value investing [1]

Core Insights - Willdan Group (WLDN) reported quarterly earnings of $1.21 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.81 per share, and showing an increase from $0.73 per share a year ago, resulting in an earnings surprise of +49.38% [1] - The company achieved revenues of $94.97 million for the quarter ended September 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 11.53%, although this is a decline from year-ago revenues of $158.25 million [2] - Willdan shares have increased approximately 147.1% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 15.6% [3] Earnings Outlook - The company's future stock performance will largely depend on management's commentary during the earnings call and the earnings outlook, which includes current consensus earnings expectations for upcoming quarters [4] - The current consensus EPS estimate for the next quarter is $0.86 on revenues of $82.6 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $3.60 on revenues of $348.05 million [7] Industry Context - The Business - Services industry, to which Willdan belongs, is currently ranked in the bottom 35% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating potential challenges ahead [8] - The performance of Willdan's stock may also be influenced by the overall outlook for the industry, as empirical research suggests a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions [5][8]