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 CSG (NASDAQ: CSGS) 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 11 data & business process services stocks we track reported a strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.7% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.5% below.

While some data & business process services stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 4.3% since the latest earnings results.

CSG (NASDAQ: CSGS)

Powering billions of critical customer interactions annually, CSG Systems (NASDAQ: CSGS) provides cloud-based software platforms that help companies manage customer interactions, process payments, and monetize their services.

CSG reported revenues of $279.3 million, up 2.4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 0.5%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

CSG delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Interestingly, the stock is up 2.2% since reporting and currently trades at $80.06.

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

Best Q3: 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 $1.71 billion, up 7.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.5%. The business had an incredible quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

Although it had a fine quarter compared to its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 17.8% since reporting. It currently trades at $163.05.

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

Weakest Q3: CoStar (NASDAQ: CSGP)

With a research department that makes over 10,000 property updates daily to its 35-year-old database, CoStar Group (NASDAQ: CSGP) provides comprehensive real estate data, analytics, and online marketplaces for commercial and residential properties in the U.S. and U.K.

CoStar reported revenues of $900 million, up 26.9% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. Still, it was a slower quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 18.6% since the results and currently trades at $40.

Read our full analysis of CoStar’s results here.

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 $86.82 million, up 41.1% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 10.6%. Overall, it was an incredible quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Planet Labs pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 32.3% since reporting and currently trades at $35.66.

Read our full, actionable report on Planet Labs 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 $1.55 billion, up 9.2% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.4%. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded revenue guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations but a significant miss of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

The stock is up 4.2% since reporting and currently trades at $182.40.

Read our full, actionable report on Equifax 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 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.