Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenues before reimbursable expenses (RBR) grew 8% year-over-year, reaching a record high for the business [4][21] - Net income for Q2 2025 was $19.4 million, or $1.09 per diluted share, down from $37.5 million, or $2.23 per diluted share in Q2 2024 [23] - Adjusted EBITDA was $60.6 million, or 15.1% of RBR, compared to $55.7 million, or 15% of RBR in Q2 2024 [24] - Adjusted net income increased to $33.7 million, or $1.89 per diluted share, a 12.5% increase from Q2 2024 [25] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - **Healthcare Segment**: RBR grew 4.1% to $197.8 million; excluding divested student education results, growth was 6% [25][26] - **Education Segment**: RBR reached a record $129.3 million, up 5.3% driven by strong demand for strategy and operations offerings [27][10] - **Commercial Segment**: RBR grew 28.2% to $75.4 million, driven by the acquisition of Akcea and strong demand for digital offerings [13][28] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The healthcare segment faces significant federal spending cuts projected to reduce Medicaid funding by over $1 trillion over the next decade, increasing the uninsured population by up to 10 million [6][7] - The education segment is experiencing heightened uncertainty due to potential declines in federal support for research grants and anticipated enrollment declines [10][11] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on organic growth and strategic acquisitions to enhance its service offerings, particularly in healthcare and commercial segments [18][16] - Recent acquisitions, including Eclipse Insights and Trelliant, are aimed at strengthening performance improvement capabilities and expanding into risk management and compliance [9][16] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in continued growth due to strong client relationships and demand for consulting services, particularly in healthcare [5][18] - The company anticipates ongoing financial pressures for clients, which will drive demand for performance improvement and financial advisory services [42][43] Other Important Information - The company has increased its RBR guidance for 2025 to a range of $1.64 billion to $1.68 billion, reflecting a 12% increase at the midpoint compared to 2024 [17][33] - The effective tax rate for 2025 is expected to be in the range of 25% to 27% [24] Q&A Session Summary Question: Visibility in the current environment - Management noted that visibility has improved compared to earlier in the year, driven by stronger sales conversions and a clearer regulatory environment [40][42] Question: Temporary pause in digital transformation sales - Management believes the slower sales conversions in digital offerings are temporary, as clients focus on immediate financial stability [46][47] Question: Headcount growth and utilization rates - Headcount growth was primarily driven by managed services and recent acquisitions, with utilization rates at the top end of the expected range [55][62] Question: Impact of Medicaid funding cuts - Management highlighted their comprehensive performance improvement offerings that can help healthcare clients navigate the challenges posed by reduced Medicaid funding [72][74] Question: Details on the Trelliant acquisition - The acquisition is expected to enhance the company's capabilities in risk management and compliance, complementing existing services in financial services [75][76]

Core Insights - Three stocks with strong buy rankings and momentum characteristics are highlighted for investors: Charles Schwab, Texas Capital Bancshares, and Southern First Bancshares [1][2][3][4] Company Summaries - **Charles Schwab (SCHW)**: - Zacks Rank: 1 (Strong Buy) - Current year earnings estimate increased by 6.5% over the last 60 days - Share price increased by 19.4% over the last three months, outperforming the S&P 500's 15.2% gain - Momentum Score: A [1][2] - **Texas Capital Bancshares (TCBI)**: - Zacks Rank: 1 (Strong Buy) - Current year earnings estimate increased by 8.2% over the last 60 days - Share price increased by 30% over the last three months, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 15.2% gain - Momentum Score: A [2][3] - **Southern First Bancshares (SFST)**: - Zacks Rank: 1 (Strong Buy) - Current year earnings estimate increased by 14.2% over the last 60 days - Share price increased by 33.3% over the last three months, also outperforming the S&P 500's 15.2% gain - Momentum Score: A [3][4]