Business services providers thrive by solving complex operational challenges for their clients, allowing them to focus on their secret sauce. Still, investors are uneasy as firms face challenges from AI-driven disruptors and tightening corporate budgets. These doubts have caused the industry to lag recently as services stocks have collectively shed 3.5% over the past six months. This performance was disappointing since the S&P 500 held steady.
Only some companies are subject to these dynamics, however, and a handful of high-quality businesses can deliver earnings growth in any environment. On that note, here is one services stock boasting a durable advantage and two best left ignored.
Two Business Services Stocks to Sell:
Brink's (BCO)
Market Cap: $3.69 billion
Known for its iconic armored trucks that have been a fixture in American cities since 1859, Brink's (NYSE: BCO) provides secure transportation and management of cash and valuables for banks, retailers, and other businesses worldwide.
Why Do We Think Twice About BCO?
- Sales trends were unexciting over the last two years as its 4% annual growth was below the typical business services company
- Free cash flow margin dropped by 3.4 percentage points over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up
- Underwhelming 12.7% return on capital reflects management’s difficulties in finding profitable growth opportunities
Brink's is trading at $87.87 per share, or 11.8x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including BCO in your portfolio.
Taboola (TBLA)
Market Cap: $1.11 billion
Often appearing as those "You May Also Like" or "Recommended For You" boxes at the bottom of news articles, Taboola (NASDAQ: TBLA) operates a digital platform that recommends personalized content to users across publisher websites, helping both publishers monetize their sites and advertisers reach target audiences.
Why Are We Cautious About TBLA?
- Earnings per share have contracted by 28.6% annually over the last four years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance
- Free cash flow margin dropped significantly over the last five years, implying the company became more capital intensive as competition picked up
- Waning returns on capital from an already weak starting point displays the inefficacy of management’s past and current investment decisions
Taboola’s stock price of $3.42 implies a valuation ratio of 6.5x forward EV-to-EBITDA. Check out our free in-depth research report to learn more about why TBLA doesn’t pass our bar.
One Business Services Stock to Buy:
Amphenol (APH)
Market Cap: $105.1 billion
With over 90 years of connecting the world's technologies, Amphenol (NYSE: APH) designs and manufactures connectors, cables, sensors, and interconnect systems that enable electrical and electronic connections across virtually every industry.
Why Will APH Beat the Market?
- Annual revenue growth of 15.2% over the last two years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
- Massive revenue base of $16.78 billion makes it a well-known name that influences purchasing decisions
- Earnings per share have massively outperformed its peers over the last five years, increasing by 19% annually
At $86.50 per share, Amphenol trades at 36.4x forward P/E. Is now a good time to buy? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Stocks We Like Even More
The market surged in 2024 and reached record highs after Donald Trump’s presidential victory in November, but questions about new economic policies are adding much uncertainty for 2025.
While the crowd speculates what might happen next, we’re homing in on the companies that can succeed regardless of the political or macroeconomic environment. Put yourself in the driver’s seat and build a durable portfolio by checking out our Top 6 Stocks for this week. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 176% over the last five years.
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Exlservice (+354% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free.
