Core Insights - Global equity markets experienced broad positive returns in Q3 2025, driven by resilient corporate earnings, enthusiasm for AI, and the U.S. Federal Reserve's first interest rate cut of the year [3][21] - Emerging markets, particularly China, led the gains, supported by a U.S. trade truce and strength in the tech sector [3][4] - The Polaris Global Equity Composite gained 5.04% (net of fees) for the quarter, underperforming the MSCI World Index, which returned 7.36% [5][6] Market Performance - Developed markets saw weaker currencies benefiting export-oriented indices, with Japan's TOPIX Index up 11.0% and the U.K.'s FTSE All-Share Index up 6.9% [4] - The U.S. market, represented by the S&P 500 Index, gained over 8%, primarily due to tech and communication stocks [4] - France and Germany underperformed due to geopolitical and fiscal concerns, with tepid growth projections under new U.S. trade policy [4] Sector Analysis - The healthcare sector was the best performer, with notable gains from pharmaceutical stocks, while financials, consumer discretionary, and IT also contributed positively [5][6] - Health insurers faced challenges, with UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health posting over 10% returns, while Elevance Health's shares dropped sharply due to profit guidance cuts [7] - In IT, Samsung Electronics excelled with strong performance in HBM technology and a significant deal with Tesla for AI chip manufacturing [11] Company Highlights - United Therapeutics Corp. was a top contributor to portfolio performance, driven by positive clinical trial results for its drug Tyvaso, potentially adding $4-5 billion in peak sales [6] - AbbVie, Inc. expects high single-digit revenue growth through 2029, with flagship drugs projected to exceed $31 billion in sales by 2027 [6] - The Carlyle Group Inc. outperformed in the financial sector, up over 20% due to strong fee-based credit and secondaries business [8] Investment Strategy - The current economic environment is characterized by a "two-speed" economy, with a concentrated AI-driven boom amidst subdued growth in other sectors [21][22] - Financials are seen as attractive due to stable net interest margins and loan growth, while defensives like consumer staples and healthcare are expected to perform well [22] - Opportunities in economically-sensitive sectors are being explored, with a focus on industrials benefiting from AI integration and supply chain modernization [22][23]

Core Points - Capgemini has launched its twelfth Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP) and initiated a share buyback to counteract shareholder dilution associated with this plan [2][4] - The share buyback agreement allows for the repurchase of up to 2.7 million shares at a maximum average price of 250 euros per share, with the aim of cancellation [3][11] - The share buyback is designed to neutralize the dilution from a capital increase reserved for employees, which will occur before December 18, 2025, and will not significantly impact the Group's cash position [4][11] Company Overview - Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation partner, with a workforce of 350,000 across more than 50 countries [7][8] - The company reported global revenues of €22.1 billion for the year 2024 [8]

Core Insights - The Zacks Outsourcing industry is experiencing rising demand for business process outsourcing (BPO) due to its flexibility and cost-effectiveness, alongside increasing cybersecurity risks driving the need for outsourcing solutions [1][5][6] Industry Overview - Outsourcing involves delegating internal operations to external resources to enhance operational efficiency, primarily serving small and medium-sized enterprises [3] - Services offered include HR support, payroll management, benefits administration, retirement planning, and insurance services, allowing businesses to focus on core competencies [4] Current Trends - There is consistent growth in BPO and IT outsourcing, with a long-term outlook indicating that outsourced IT services will encompass a wide range of functions, driven by a shortage of in-house engineering talent [5] - The urgency for robust cybersecurity measures is increasing, with companies focusing on employee training and outsourced cybersecurity services to mitigate risks [6] - Innovations such as IoT, cloud computing, AI, and ML are transforming the outsourcing landscape, improving efficiency and competitiveness [7][8] Industry Performance - The Zacks Outsourcing industry currently holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 35, placing it in the top 14% of 246 Zacks industries, indicating bright near-term prospects [9] - Over the past year, the industry has underperformed compared to the broader Zacks Business Services sector and the S&P 500, declining by 1.9% while the sector and S&P 500 grew by 3.7% and 17.7%, respectively [11] - The industry trades at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 16.43X, lower than the S&P 500's 23.34X and the sector's 21.4X, indicating a cheaper valuation compared to peers [12] Promising Companies - **The Brink's Company (BCO)**: Provides cash and valuables management services with a 5% organic growth rate in Q2 2025, driven by strong demand for precious metals and successful customer acquisition efforts [13][15] - **Barrett Business Services, Inc. (BBSI)**: A Professional Employer Organization with a record increase of 10,100 worksite employees added year-over-year in Q2 2025, supported by strong client retention and new product adoption [16][17] - **Capgemini SE (CGEMY)**: A consulting company with robust commercial momentum, achieving a book-to-bill ratio of 1.08 in Q2 2025, driven by high-value services in Cloud and Data, and AI [18][20]

Core Insights - The rising demand for business process outsourcing (BPO) is driven by flexibility and low costs, with trends like IoT, cloud computing, AI, and ML transforming the sector [1][4][6] Industry Overview - Outsourcing involves delegating internal operations to external resources to enhance operational efficiency, primarily catering to small and medium-sized enterprises [3] - Services include HR support, payroll management, benefits administration, retirement planning, and insurance services, allowing businesses to focus on core competencies [3] Future Trends - There is consistent growth in business process and IT outsourcing due to increased demand for flexibility, lower costs, and improved service quality [4] - The shortage of in-house engineering talent is expected to drive the outsourcing trend [4] - The urgency for robust cybersecurity measures is increasing, leading companies to outsource cybersecurity services to mitigate risks and maintain compliance [5] Industry Performance - The Zacks Outsourcing industry currently holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 35, placing it in the top 14% of 246 Zacks industries, indicating bright near-term prospects [7] - Over the past year, the Zacks Outsourcing industry has underperformed compared to the broader Zacks Business Services sector and the S&P 500, declining by 1.9% against the sector's 3.7% growth and the S&P 500's 17.7% growth [9][10] Valuation Metrics - The industry is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 16.43X, lower than the S&P 500's 23.34X and the sector's 21.4X [13] Promising Companies - **Brink's Company (BCO)**: Provides cash and valuables management services with a 5% organic growth rate in Q2 2025, driven by strong demand for precious metals and successful customer acquisition [17][19] - **Barrett Business Services, Inc. (BBSI)**: A Professional Employer Organization with a record increase of 10,100 worksite employees added year-over-year in Q2 2025, supported by strong client retention and new product adoption [20][21] - **Capgemini SE (CGEMY)**: Focuses on business transformation and consulting, with a robust book-to-bill ratio of 1.08 and a contribution of nearly 7% from GenAI and Agentic AI in Q2 2025 [22][23][25]

Media relations:Victoire GruxTel.: +33 6 04 52 16 55victoire.grux@capgemini.com Investor relations:Vincent BiraudTel.: +33 1 47 54 50 87vincent.biraud@capgemini.com Capgemini launches its twelfth Employee Share Ownership Plan Paris, September 11, 2025 – Capgemini announces the launch of its twelfth Employee Share Ownership Plan (ESOP). This new employee share ownership plan is offered to approximately 98% of the employees and is part of the Group’s policy to associate all employees with its development and ...

Industry Overview - The Zacks Outsourcing industry is facing challenges such as data privacy regulations, communication barriers, geopolitical risks, quality control issues, and loss of control [1] - Despite these headwinds, the industry is driven by the need to cut costs, the rise of remote work, increased focus on cybersecurity, and trends in AI and ML [1] Future Trends - Business process outsourcing (BPO) services are experiencing consistent growth due to flexibility, lower costs, and improved service quality [4] - The IT outsourcing market is robust, with companies increasingly outsourcing entire IT departments to reduce costs and focus on core operations, driven by a shortage of in-house engineering talent [4] Cybersecurity Demand - There is a rising demand for data encryption and cybersecurity measures due to increased public awareness and evolving cyber threats [5] - Companies are focusing on employee security training and breach detection systems, with many turning to outsourced cybersecurity services to mitigate risks [5] Technological Innovations - Trends such as IoT, cloud computing, AI, and ML are transforming the outsourcing sector, enhancing efficiency and competitiveness [6] - Innovations allow for real-time decision-making and predictive maintenance, while AI and ML integration in customer support optimizes operational costs [6] Industry Performance - The Zacks Outsourcing industry currently holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 196, placing it in the bottom 20% of 246 Zacks industries, indicating underperformance [7][8] - Over the past year, the industry has declined by 6.9%, underperforming the broader Zacks Business Services sector and the S&P 500, which grew by 16.6% and 13.8% respectively [9][10] Current Valuation - The industry is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 15.96X, compared to the S&P 500's 22.75X and the sector's 22.38X [12] Investment Opportunities - **Barrett Business Services, Inc. (BBSI)**: Focuses on payroll administration and staffing, with growth driven by new client sales and technology investments [15][16] - **The Brink's Company, Inc. (BCO)**: A global provider of cash management services, experiencing growth across segments, particularly in digital retail solutions [18][19] - **Capgemini SE (CGEMY)**: An IT services and consulting company benefiting from strong growth in financial services and public sector, with a focus on AI [20][21]

Group 1 - Capgemini SE has agreed to acquire IT outsourcing company WNS Holdings Ltd. for a cash transaction of $3.3 billion [1] - The acquisition aims to expand Capgemini's presence in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector [1]