Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Broadridge (NYSE: BR) and the best and worst performers in the data & business process services industry.

A combination of increasing reliance on data and analytics across various industries and the desire for cost efficiency through outsourcing could mean that companies in this space gain. As functions such as payroll, HR, and credit risk assessment rely on more digitization, key players in the data & business process services industry could be increased demand. On the other hand, the sector faces headwinds from growing regulatory scrutiny on data privacy and security, with laws like GDPR and evolving U.S. regulations potentially limiting data collection and monetization strategies. Additionally, rising cyber threats pose risks to firms handling sensitive personal and financial information, creating outsized headline risk when things go wrong in this area.

The 10 data & business process services stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.6% below.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 5.1% on average since the latest earnings results.

Slowest Q2: Broadridge (NYSE: BR)

Processing over $10 trillion in equity and fixed income trades daily and managing proxy voting for over 800 million equity positions, Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR) provides technology-driven solutions that power investing, governance, and communications for banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, and public companies.

Broadridge reported revenues of $2.07 billion, up 6.2% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a slower quarter for the company.

"Broadridge delivered strong fiscal year 2025 results with 7% Recurring revenue growth constant currency, 11% Adjusted EPS growth, and $288 million of Closed sales," said Tim Gokey, Broadridge CEO.

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 1.4% since reporting and currently trades at $245.12.

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

Best Q2: Planet Labs (NYSE: PL)

Pioneering the concept of "agile aerospace" with hundreds of small but powerful satellites, Planet Labs (NYSE: PL) operates the world's largest fleet of Earth observation satellites, capturing daily images of our planet to provide insights on deforestation, agriculture, and climate change.

Planet Labs reported revenues of $73.39 million, up 20.1% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 11.2%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year revenue guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations.

Planet Labs achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 59.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $10.43.

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

Equifax (NYSE: EFX)

Holding detailed financial records on over 800 million consumers worldwide and dating back to 1899, Equifax (NYSE: EFX) is a global data analytics company that collects, analyzes, and sells consumer and business credit information to lenders, employers, and other businesses.

Equifax reported revenues of $1.54 billion, up 7.4% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. Still, it was a slower quarter as it posted a miss of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates and full-year revenue guidance meeting analysts’ expectations.

Equifax delivered the weakest full-year guidance update in the group. Interestingly, the stock is up 1.3% since the results and currently trades at $263.33.

Read our full analysis of Equifax’s results here.

SS&C (NASDAQ: SSNC)

Founded in 1986 as a bridge between technology and financial services, SS&C Technologies (NASDAQ: SSNC) provides software and software-enabled services that help financial firms and healthcare organizations automate complex business processes.

SS&C reported revenues of $1.54 billion, up 5.9% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. It was a satisfactory quarter as it also put up a decent beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

The stock is up 6.3% since reporting and currently trades at $88.88.

Read our full, actionable report on SS&C here, it’s free.

ADP (NASDAQ: ADP)

Processing one out of every six paychecks in the United States, ADP (NASDAQ: ADP) provides cloud-based human capital management solutions that help businesses manage payroll, benefits, talent acquisition, and HR administration.

ADP reported revenues of $5.13 billion, up 7.5% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter meeting analysts’ expectations.

The stock is down 5.9% since reporting and currently trades at $290.62.

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

Market Update

In response to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been gradually trending down from its post-pandemic peak, trending closer to the Fed’s 2% target. Despite higher borrowing costs, the economy has avoided flashing recessionary signals. This is the much-desired soft landing that many investors hoped for. The recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November 2024) have bolstered the stock market, making 2024 a strong year for equities. Donald Trump’s presidential win in November sparked additional market gains, sending indices to record highs in the days following his victory. However, debates continue over possible tariffs and corporate tax adjustments, raising questions about economic stability in 2025.

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