For those looking to find strong Business Services stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has Casella (CWST) been one of those stocks this year? By taking a look at the stock's year-to-date performance in comparison to its Business Services peers, we might be able to answer that question.Casella is a member of the Business Services sector. This group includes 272 individual stocks and currently holds a Zacks Sector Rank of #5. The Zacks Sector Rank gau ...

Company Overview - Waste Connections (WCN) shares increased by 5.3% to close at $192.90, contrasting with a 0.5% loss over the past four weeks, driven by price-led organic solid waste growth, improving commodities, and ongoing acquisition activities [1] - The company is expected to report quarterly earnings of $1.07 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 2.9%, with revenues projected at $2.22 billion, up 7.3% from the previous year [2] Earnings Estimates and Trends - The consensus EPS estimate for Waste Connections has been revised marginally lower over the last 30 days, indicating a negative trend in earnings estimate revisions, which typically does not lead to price appreciation [3] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold), suggesting a neutral outlook [3] Industry Comparison - Waste Connections is part of the Zacks Waste Removal Services industry, where Montrose Environmental (MEG) experienced an 18.5% increase in its stock price, closing at $12.73, despite a -38.9% return over the past month [3] - Montrose Environmental's consensus EPS estimate has changed significantly to -$0.12, representing a -175% change from the previous year, and it currently holds a Zacks Rank of 5 (Strong Sell) [4]

Company Performance - Smiths Group PLC (SMGZY) has gained approximately 18.7% year-to-date, significantly outperforming the average gain of 1% in the Business Services sector [4] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Smiths Group's full-year earnings has increased by 4% over the past 90 days, indicating improving analyst sentiment and a positive earnings outlook [3] Industry Context - Smiths Group PLC is part of the Technology Services industry, which has seen an average loss of 9.8% year-to-date, highlighting SMGZY's superior performance within this group [5] - The Business Services group includes 274 companies, with Smiths Group currently ranked 7 in the Zacks Sector Rank [2] Comparison with Peers - Sims Metal Management Ltd. (SMSMY) is another outperforming stock in the Business Services sector, with a year-to-date return of 30.7% [4] - The consensus estimate for Sims Metal Management's current year EPS has increased by 20% over the past three months, also reflecting a positive outlook [5]