Zacks Industry Outlook Gartner, CBIZ and Huron Consulting Group
Gartner, CBIZ and Huron Consulting Group have been highlighted in this Industry Outlook article.
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – August 25, 2026 – Today, Zacks Equity Gartner, Inc. IT, CBIZ, Inc. CBZ and Huron Consulting Group Inc. HURN
Industry: Consulting Services
Economic strength, encouraging service activities and the success of the work-from-home trend enable Zacks Consulting Services industry players to meet demand.
Driven by these positives, investors interested in the industry would do well to consider including stocks like Gartner, Inc., CBIZ, Inc. and Huron Consulting Group Inc. in their portfolios.
About the Industry
Companies grouped under the Consulting Services category offer professional advice in management, IT, human resources, environmental regulations, logistics, marketing and real estate, serving multiple end markets. The space includes prominent names like Accenture and Gartner.
The industry focuses on channeling money and efforts toward more effective operational components, such as technology, digital transformation and data-driven decision-making. To position themselves suitably in the post-pandemic era and better utilize the opportunities that an economic recovery will bring, service providers are increasing their efforts to formulate and reassess strategic initiatives, identify sources of demand and target end markets.
What's Shaping the Future of the Consulting Services Industry?
Exponential Growth: This multi-billion-dollar industry has entered a trajectory of exponential expansion since the 2008 financial crisis, fueled by digital transformation and innovation-driven efficiencies. The trend has sustained steady revenues, profits and cash-flow growth, enabling most industry players to distribute stable dividends.
Economic Recovery: The sector is a major beneficiary of the broader economy and increasingly digital-driven service activities. According to the second estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the economy remained resilient, with GDP growing 1.5% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with a 2.1% rise in the first quarter. Non-manufacturing activities remained strong, as reflected in the July Services PMI, which stayed in expansion territory for the 25th consecutive month.
Strong Demand Environment: The consulting services industry remains among the least disrupted by recent global uncertainties. Even in volatile conditions, organizations seek extensive guidance on safeguarding their workforce while strengthening ties with consumers and shareholders. The industry was an early pioneer of remote collaboration, now embedded in the new normal. Its work model allows players to operate efficiently, increasingly powered by AI-driven insights, digital platforms, and agile delivery frameworks.
Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Bright Prospects
The Consulting Services industry, which is housed within the broader Business Services sector, currently carries a Zacks Industry Rank of #42. This rank places it in the top 17% of 247 Zacks industries.
The group’s Zacks Industry Rank, which is the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates solid near-term growth prospects. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than two to one.
Before we present a few stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio, let’s take a look at the industry’s recent stock market performance and current valuation.
Industry's Price Performance
The Consulting Services industry has underperformed the S&P 500 composite and the broader sector in the past year. The industry has declined 24.2% against the S&P 500 composite’s growth of 21.3% and the broader sector’s 16.4% decline.
Industry's Current Valuation
On the basis of the forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio, which is a commonly used multiple for valuing consulting services companies, we see that the industry is currently trading at 15.16X, below the S&P 500’s 20.37X and the sector’s 18.23X.
Over the past five years, the industry has traded as high as 31.53X and as low as 12.41X, with a median of 26.00X.
3 Consulting Services Stocks to Consider
Gartner: The company’s differentiated information technology research and advisory services expertise is the primary catalyst of its overall growth. The company’s broad portfolio and low customer concentration support recurring demand across business and technology functions, strengthening top-line growth prospects.
Gartner delivers strong value to its clients through its subscription-oriented research platform, which utilizes the depth and breadth of intellectual capital to create and distribute research content. The broad range of services such as Insights, Consulting and Conferences with specialized industry expertise and global reach differentiate Gartner from its competitors. This diversification enables the company to mitigate the impacts of economic cycles, crises, events, and changes in a particular practice, industry, or country.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 EPS has increased 5.6% in the past 60 days to $14.42. IT currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). The stock has gained 32.6% in the past month. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Huron Consulting: Technological innovation and record demand across healthcare, higher education and commercial sectors continue to raise both complexity and safety expectations, and Huron Consulting is well-positioned to capitalize on these shifts. With a strong foundation of talent, deep multidisciplinary expertise, transformative innovations and acquisitions, it delivered growth in the consulting industry.
The company continues to innovate and use artificial intelligence to improve services and gain broader access to different markets. Recently, it acquired RelateCare, a leading provider of AI-enabled clinical and patient access solutions, to strengthen its patient access and care coordination capabilities. Growing health concerns further support the company’s ability to achieve sustainable growth and create long-term shareholder value.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 EPS has increased by nearly 1.1% in the past 60 days to $9.18. The stock has surged 40.4% in the past month. EXPO currently sports a Zacks Rank #1.
CBIZ: With its service breadth and specialized expertise, this provider of financial, insurance and advisory services has established itself as one of the largest professional services providers for middle-market businesses, solidifying its competitive edge and long-term growth potential.
CBIZ is entering a strong growth phase, fueled by strategic expansion and a reinforced market position. The integration of Marcum has unlocked new synergies, enhanced service offerings, and strengthened relationships with clients and stakeholders. The Marcum transaction significantly expands CBIZ’s capabilities and client base, positioning the firm for broader market reach and cross-selling opportunities.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s 2026 EPS has increased 0.7% in the past 60 days to $4.10. The stock has gained 23.2% in the past month. CBIZ currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Free: Instant Access to Zacks' Market-Crushing Strategies
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.
Today you can tap into those powerful strategies – and the high-potential stocks they uncover – free. No strings attached.
Join us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZacksInvestmentResearch/
Zacks Investment Research is under common control with affiliated entities (including a broker-dealer and an investment adviser), which may engage in transactions involving the foregoing securities for the clients of such affiliates.
Media Contact
Zacks Investment Research
800-767-3771 ext. 9339
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge Gains
Quantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.
While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.
Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power.
Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.
See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Huron Consulting Group Inc. (HURN): Free Stock Analysis Report
Gartner, Inc. (IT): Free Stock Analysis Report
CBIZ, Inc. (CBZ): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).