Bringing practical business and technical intelligence to today's structured cabling professionals.
For more than 30 years, Cabling Installation & Maintenance has provided useful, practical information to professionals responsible for the specification, design, installation and management of structured cabling systems serving enterprise, data center and other environments. These professionals are challenged to stay informed of constantly evolving standards, system-design and installation approaches, product and system capabilities, technologies, as well as applications that rely on high-performance structured cabling systems. Our editors synthesize these complex issues into multiple information products. This portfolio of information products provides concrete detail that improves the efficiency of day-to-day operations, and equips cabling professionals with the perspective that enables strategic planning for networks’ optimum long-term performance.
Throughout our annual magazine, weekly email newsletters and 24/7/365 website, Cabling Installation & Maintenance digs into the essential topics our audience focuses on:
Design, Installation and Testing: We explain the bottom-up design of cabling systems, from case histories of actual projects to solutions for specific problems or aspects of the design process. We also look at specific installations using a case-history approach to highlight challenging problems, solutions and unique features. Additionally, we examine evolving test-and-measurement technologies and techniques designed to address the standards-governed and practical-use performance requirements of cabling systems.
Technology: We evaluate product innovations and technology trends as they impact a particular product class through interviews with manufacturers, installers and users, as well as contributed articles from subject-matter experts.
Data Center: Cabling Installation & Maintenance takes an in-depth look at design and installation workmanship issues as well as the unique technology being deployed specifically for data centers.
Physical Security: Focusing on the areas in which security and IT—and the infrastructure for both—interlock and overlap, we pay specific attention to Internet Protocol’s influence over the development of security applications.
Standards: Tracking the activities of North American and international standards-making organizations, we provide updates on specifications that are in-progress, looking forward to how they will affect cabling-system design and installation. We also produce articles explaining the practical aspects of designing and installing cabling systems in accordance with the specifications of established standards.
As the Q4 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the business process outsourcing & consulting industry, including CRA (NASDAQ: CRAI) and its peers.
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 Q4. As a group, revenues along with next quarter’s revenue guidance were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.
Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 10.3% since the latest earnings results.
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 $176.4 million, up 9.2% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 5.8%. Overall, it was a stunning quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year revenue guidance beating analysts’ expectations.
CRA scored the biggest analyst estimates beat and highest full-year guidance raise of the whole group. Investor expectations, however, were likely higher than Wall Street’s published projections, leaving some wishing for even better results (analysts’ consensus estimates are those published by big banks and advisory firms, not the investors who make buy and sell decisions). The stock is down 14.9% since reporting and currently trades at $160.48.
Founded in 2002 during a time of significant regulatory change in corporate America, Huron Consulting Group (NASDAQ: HURN) is a professional services company that helps organizations develop growth strategies, optimize operations, and implement digital transformation solutions.
Huron reported revenues of $399.3 million, up 14.1% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.7%. The business had a very strong quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.
The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 8.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $136.04.
With a team of experts deployed across 30+ countries to tackle complex business challenges, FTI Consulting (NYSE: FCN) is a global business advisory firm that helps organizations manage change, mitigate risk, and resolve disputes across financial, legal, operational, and regulatory matters.
FTI Consulting reported revenues of $894.9 million, down 3.2% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.
FTI Consulting delivered the slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 20.5% since the results and currently trades at $151.24.
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 $2.37 billion, down 1.3% year on year. This print met analysts’ expectations. It was a satisfactory quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
The stock is flat since reporting and currently trades at $45.67.
Starting as a virtual assistant service in 2008 before evolving into a global digital services provider, TaskUs (NASDAQ: TASK) provides outsourced digital services including customer experience management, content moderation, and AI data services to innovative technology companies.
TaskUs reported revenues of $274.2 million, up 17.1% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 2%. More broadly, it was a slower quarter as it recorded a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.
The stock is down 13.7% since reporting and currently trades at $13.49.
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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