Looking back on it services & consulting stocks’ Q2 earnings, we examine this quarter’s best and worst performers, including Gartner (NYSE: IT) and its peers.
IT Services & Consulting companies stand to benefit from increasing enterprise demand for digital transformation, AI-driven automation, and cybersecurity resilience. Many enterprises can't attack these topics alone and need IT services and consulting on everything from technical advice to implementation. Challenges in meeting these needs will include finding talent in specialized and evolving IT fields. While AI and automation can enhance productivity, they also threaten to commoditize certain consulting functions. Another ongoing challenge will be pricing pressures from offshore IT service providers, which have lower labor costs and increasingly equal access to advanced technology like AI.
The 8 it services & consulting stocks we track reported a mixed Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.3% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.6% below.
Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 14.9% since the latest earnings results.
Gartner (NYSE: IT)
With over 2,500 research experts guiding organizations through complex technology landscapes, Gartner (NYSE: IT) provides research, advisory services, and conferences that help executives make better decisions about technology and other business priorities.
Gartner reported revenues of $1.69 billion, up 5.7% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, and overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ constant currency revenue estimates.
Gene Hall, Gartner’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Second quarter Revenue, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EPS, and Free Cash Flow were ahead of expectations. Contract value grew 5%. Since the end of the first quarter, we have accelerated our stock buybacks to increase shareholder value. As we continue to rollout AskGartner, our new AI-powered tool that provides faster access to trusted, proprietary Gartner business and technology insights, clients will realize even more value from their licenses.”
The stock is down 32.9% since reporting and currently trades at $226.30.
Is now the time to buy Gartner? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Best Q2: EPAM (NYSE: EPAM)
Founded in 1993 during the early days of offshore software development, EPAM Systems (NYSE: EPAM) provides digital engineering, cloud, and AI transformation services to help global enterprises and startups modernize their technology systems and create digital products.
EPAM reported revenues of $1.35 billion, up 18% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. The business had a strong quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ constant currency revenue estimates.
However, the results were likely priced into the stock as it’s traded sideways since reporting. Shares currently sit at $152.25.
Is now the time to buy EPAM? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Slowest Q2: ASGN (NYSE: ASGN)
Evolving from its roots in IT staffing to become a high-end technology consulting powerhouse, ASGN (NYSE: ASGN) provides specialized IT consulting services and staffing solutions to Fortune 1000 companies and U.S. federal government agencies.
ASGN reported revenues of $1.02 billion, down 1.4% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 2.4%. Still, it was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.
As expected, the stock is down 2.1% since the results and currently trades at $48.95.
Read our full analysis of ASGN’s results here.
Accenture (NYSE: ACN)
With a workforce of approximately 774,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture (NYSE: ACN) is a professional services firm that helps organizations transform their businesses through consulting, technology, operations, and digital services.
Accenture reported revenues of $17.73 billion, up 7.7% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 2.3%. Zooming out, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced a decent beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter meeting analysts’ expectations.
The stock is down 22.1% since reporting and currently trades at $238.60.
Read our full, actionable report on Accenture here, it’s free.
IBM (NYSE: IBM)
With a corporate history spanning over a century and once known for its iconic mainframe computers, IBM (NYSE: IBM) provides hybrid cloud computing platforms, AI solutions, consulting services, and enterprise infrastructure to help businesses modernize their operations.
IBM reported revenues of $16.98 billion, up 7.7% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 2.4%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ operating income estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.
The stock is down 16.3% since reporting and currently trades at $236.29.
Read our full, actionable report on IBM here, it’s free.
Market Update
The Fed’s interest rate hikes throughout 2022 and 2023 have successfully cooled post-pandemic inflation, bringing it closer to the 2% target. Inflationary pressures have eased without tipping the economy into a recession, suggesting a soft landing. This stability, paired with recent rate cuts (0.5% in September 2024 and 0.25% in November 2024), fueled a strong year for the stock market in 2024. The markets surged further after Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November, with major indices reaching record highs in the days following the election. Still, questions remain about the direction of economic policy, as potential tariffs and corporate tax changes add uncertainty for 2025.
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