The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who didn’t). Let’s take a look at how business process outsourcing & consulting stocks fared in Q1, starting with CRA (NASDAQ: CRAI).

The sector stands to benefit from ongoing digital transformation, increasing corporate demand for cost efficiencies, and the growing complexity of regulatory and cybersecurity landscapes. For those that invest wisely, AI and automation capabilities could emerge as competitive advantages, enhancing process efficiencies for the companies themselves as well as their clients. On the flip side, AI could be a headwind as well as the technology could lower the barrier to entry in the space and give rise to more self-service solutions. Additional challenges in the years ahead could include wage inflation for highly skilled consultants and potential regulatory scrutiny on outsourcing practices—especially in industries like finance and healthcare where who has access to certain data matters greatly.

The 8 business process outsourcing & consulting stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 5.9% since the latest earnings results.

CRA (NASDAQ: CRAI)

Often retained for high-stakes matters with multibillion-dollar implications, CRA International (NASDAQ: CRAI) provides economic, financial, and management consulting services to corporations, law firms, and government agencies for litigation, regulatory proceedings, and business strategy.

CRA reported revenues of $201 million, up 10.5% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 3.7%. Overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

“Maintaining the momentum of a record fiscal 2025, CRA continued its strong performance into the first quarter of fiscal 2026 as revenue increased by 10.5% year over year to $201.0 million,” said Paul Maleh, CRA’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

CRA achieved the biggest analyst estimate beat of the whole group. Even though it had a relatively good quarter, the market seems discontent with the results. The stock is down 4.2% since reporting and currently trades at $146.29.

Is now the time to buy CRA? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q1: CBIZ (NYSE: CBZ)

With over 120 offices across 33 states and a team of more than 6,700 professionals, CBIZ (NYSE: CBZ) provides accounting, tax, benefits, insurance brokerage, and advisory services to help small and mid-sized businesses manage their finances and operations.

CBIZ reported revenues of $848.6 million, up 1.3% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. However, the business still had a very strong quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

CBIZ achieved the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 2.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $33.94.

Is now the time to buy CBIZ? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: Concentrix (NASDAQ: CNXC)

With a team of approximately 450,000 employees across 75 countries, Concentrix (NASDAQ: CNXC) designs and delivers customer experience solutions that help global brands manage their customer interactions across digital channels and contact centers.

Concentrix reported revenues of $2.5 billion, up 5.4% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and a miss of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 17.1% since the results and currently trades at $27.39.

Read our full analysis of Concentrix’s results here.

Genpact (NYSE: G)

Originally spun off from General Electric in 2005 to provide business process services, Genpact (NYSE: G) is a global professional services firm that helps businesses transform their operations through digital technology, AI, and data analytics solutions.

Genpact reported revenues of $1.30 billion, up 6.7% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 0.5%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter slightly missing analysts’ expectations.

The stock is down 5.9% since reporting and currently trades at $32.44.

Read our full, actionable report on Genpact here, it’s free.

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK)

From serving hot dogs at major league stadiums to managing college dining halls that feed thousands daily, Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) provides food services and facilities management to schools, healthcare facilities, businesses, sports venues, and correctional institutions across 16 countries.

Aramark reported revenues of $4.91 billion, up 14.7% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 3.1%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also produced an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Aramark pulled off the fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 20.1% since reporting and currently trades at $53.54.

Read our full, actionable report on Aramark here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand-wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.