Industry Overview - Business services providers are facing increased competition from AI-driven companies, resulting in a limited industry gain of 15.4% over the past six months, which is lower than the S&P 500's 18.6% increase [1] Company Summaries Wiley (WLY) - Wiley has a market capitalization of $1.94 billion and is a global academic publisher offering scientific journals, books, digital courseware, and knowledge solutions [3] - The stock price of Wiley is $36.80, reflecting a valuation ratio of 5.4x forward EV-to-EBITDA [5] ICF International (ICFI) - ICF International has a market capitalization of $1.50 billion and provides consulting services and technology solutions across various sectors including energy, health, environment, and security [6] - The stock price of ICF International is $81.69, trading at 12x forward P/E [8] Cisco (CSCO) - Cisco has a market capitalization of $279.9 billion and specializes in networking equipment, security solutions, and collaboration tools [9] - Cisco's sales have declined by 1.9% annually over the last five years, indicating unfavorable market trends [10] - Earnings per share for Cisco have decreased by 1.3% annually over the past two years, raising concerns about long-term stock price performance [10] - The company's free cash flow margin has decreased by 7.3 percentage points, indicating increased capital intensity [10] - Cisco's sales pipeline shows a projected sales decline of 2.6% for the next 12 months, suggesting a challenging demand environment ahead [11] - Low returns on capital highlight management's difficulties in effective fund allocation [11]

Industry Overview - The U.S. Business Services Sector is supported by strong domestic economic fundamentals, encompassing companies that provide various services such as consulting, staffing, financial transactions, outsourcing, advertising, waste removal, building maintenance, technology services, and auction/valuation services [1] - The sector is mature with stable demand for services, and revenues, income, and cash flows are above pre-pandemic levels. It ranks in the top 25% of the Zacks Sector Rank, indicating expected outperformance over the next three to six months [2] Stock Recommendations - Five business services stocks with favorable Zacks Rank that have shown double-digit returns in the past three months are Duolingo Inc. (DUOL), Cintas Corp. (CTAS), Stantec Inc. (STN), Thomson Reuters Corp. (TRI), and FirstCash Holdings Inc. (FCFS). Each stock carries a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) [3] Company Highlights Duolingo Inc. (DUOL) - Duolingo operates a mobile learning platform offering courses in 40 languages and provides a digital language proficiency assessment exam [6] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 33.4% and 55.3%, respectively, with a 10.2% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 60 days [7][9] Cintas Corp. (CTAS) - Cintas is benefiting from solid momentum across its segments, with product penetration into existing customers aiding its Uniform Rental and Facility Services segment [8] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 7% and 10.8%, respectively, with a 1.9% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 60 days [10] Stantec Inc. (STN) - Stantec provides professional consulting services in various fields including planning, engineering, architecture, and environmental sciences [11][12] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 11.1% and 19.5%, respectively, with a 3.2% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 30 days [13] Thomson Reuters Corp. (TRI) - Thomson Reuters operates as a content and technology company across multiple regions, providing value-added information and technology in law, tax, accounting, and other fields [14][15] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 3.2% and 4.2%, respectively, with a 1.3% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 60 days [15] FirstCash Holdings Inc. (FCFS) - FirstCash operates retail pawn stores in the U.S., Mexico, and Latin America, providing pawn loans and retail payment solutions [16][17] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are -0.2% and 17.3%, respectively, with a 2.7% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 60 days [18]