A number of stocks fell in the morning session after disappointing fourth-quarter results from industry bellwether Gartner sparked widespread concerns about a slowdown in the sector. The research and advisory firm reported that revenue in its Consulting segment fell 12.8%. This weak performance from a major industry player appeared to validate broader market fears about the health of the IT services and consulting industry. The negative sentiment spread quickly, with shares of other major companies like Accenture and Intuit also falling sharply. The market now seems concerned about a potential slowdown in the sector's growth rate, compounded by uncertainty over the long-term impact of artificial intelligence on existing business models.
The S&P 500 (^GSPC) is often seen as a benchmark for strong businesses, but that doesn’t mean every stock is worth owning.
Some companies face significant challenges, whether it’s stagnating growth, heavy debt, or disruptive new competitors.
While profitability is essential, it doesn’t guarantee long-term success.
Some companies that rest on their margins will lose ground as competition intensifies - as Jeff Bezos said, "Your margin is my opportunity".
Large-cap stocks usually command their industries because they have the scale to drive market trends.
The flip side though is that their sheer size can limit growth as expanding further becomes an increasingly challenging task.
While strong cash flow is a key indicator of stability, it doesn’t always translate to superior returns.
Some cash-heavy businesses struggle with inefficient spending, slowing demand, or weak competitive positioning.
Join us in exploring the top gainers and losers within the S&P500 index one hour before the close of the markets on Monday as we examine the latest happenings in today's session.
Verisk Analytics said it has cancelled the AccuLynx acquisition after the Federal Trade Commission failed to complete its review by the Dec. 26, 2025, deadline.
While profitability is essential, it doesn’t guarantee long-term success.
Some companies that rest on their margins will lose ground as competition intensifies - as Jeff Bezos said, "Your margin is my opportunity".
As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q3. Today, we are looking at data & business process services stocks, starting with Verisk (NASDAQ:VRSK).
Business services providers use their specialized expertise to help enterprises streamline operations and cut costs. But cutbacks in corporate spending and the threat of new AI products have kept sentiment in check,
and over the past six months, the industry’s 2.7% return has trailed the S&P 500 by 10.3 percentage points.
Shareholders of Verisk would probably like to forget the past six months even happened. The stock dropped 29.7% and now trades at $213.36. This was partly driven by its softer quarterly results and might have investors contemplating their next move.
Verisk’s third quarter results fell short of Wall Street’s revenue expectations, prompting a significant negative market reaction. Management attributed the softer performance primarily to historically low levels of severe weather, which reduced demand for claims-related transactional services, and the impact of a reduced government contract. CEO Lee Shavel noted, “This and other factors drove transactional revenue declines,” emphasizing that the underlying subscription revenue growth remained strong. Despite these headwinds, Verisk expanded its operating margin and continued to invest in its data and AI capabilities, which management believes underpin the company’s long-term resilience.
Shares of insurance data analytics provider Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ:VRSK) fell 1.9% in the afternoon session after its Extreme Event Solutions group announced an estimate for industry-insured losses in Jamaica from Hurricane Melissa, projecting a range between $2.2 billion and $4.2 billion. The estimate covered onshore properties and noted that most of the modeled loss was due to wind damage. This news likely added to investor concerns, as it followed a recent update where Verisk had lowered its full-year 2025 revenue guidance. The company had cited softer demand stemming from unusually mild weather and a reduced government contract for the lowered outlook.
Insurance data analytics provider Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ:VRSK) fell short of the markets revenue expectations in Q3 CY2025, but sales rose 5.9% year on year to $768.3 million. The company’s full-year revenue guidance of $3.07 billion at the midpoint came in 1.7% below analysts’ estimates. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.72 per share was 1% above analysts’ consensus estimates.
A company that generates cash isn’t automatically a winner.
Some businesses stockpile cash but fail to reinvest wisely, limiting their ability to expand.
Shares of insurance data analytics provider Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ:VRSK) fell 11.4% in the afternoon session after the company reported third-quarter results that missed revenue expectations and lowered its full-year sales forecast.
