Zacks Industry Outlook Highlights Recruit, Iron Mountain and Verisk Analytics
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – June 30, 2026 – Today, Zacks Equity Research discusses Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd. RCRUY, Iron Mountain Inc. IRM and Verisk Analytics, Inc. VRSK.
Industry: Business Information
The widespread acceptance and success of the work-from-home trend have enabled the ZacksBusiness – Information Services industry to address the rising demand for services that ensure risk mitigation, cost reduction and productivity improvement.
The increased adoption of technology is benefiting companies like Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd, Iron Mountain Inc. and Verisk Analytics, Inc., supporting them to offer digitally transformed, personalized and value-added services.
About the Industry
The Zacks Business – Information Services industry comprises companies that offer a range of services, including software, data, risk, research, information and analytics solutions. These companies operate in a dynamic business environment characterized by evolving customer behavior, preferences and demographics. The key focus within the industry is currently on channeling money and efforts toward more effective operational components, such as technology, digital transformation and data-driven decision-making, to identify demand sources and target end markets.
3 Trends Shaping the Future of the Information Industry
Healthy Demand Environment: The industry is mature and has experienced steady growth in recent years. Revenues, income and operating cash should continue to grow as the economy improves.
Demand for Customer-Centric Solutions: The pandemic stoked a many-fold increase in demand for specific solutions that ensure risk mitigation, cost reduction and productivity improvement. These, in turn, have opened up more business opportunities for industry players. These companies are now modifying their business strategies to offer more customer-centric solutions.
Increased Adoption of Technologies: Digital transformation, automation in assembling and the use of big data in enhancing business information will likely fuel the industry's growth in the days to come. Companies are shifting from conventional data solutions to technical and domain-specific expertise, data analytics solutions, financial consultancy and operational consultancy services.
Zacks Industry Rank Indicates Encouraging Near-Term Prospects
The Business – Information Services industry is housed within the broader Zacks Business Services sector. It carries a Zacks Industry Rank #46, which places it in the top 19% of 245 Zacks industries.
The group's Industry Rank, which is the average of the Zacks Rank of all the member stocks, indicates outperformance in the near term. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than two to one.
Before we present a few stocks that you may want to consider for your portfolio, let's take a look at the industry's recent stock-market performance and current valuation.
Industry's Price Performance
Over the past year, the Zacks Business – Information Services industry has underperformed the Zacks Business Services sector and the S&P 500 Composite.
The industry has declined 23.2% against the S&P 500 composite's growth of 21.6%. The broader sector has declined 20.2% in the said time frame.
Industry's Current Valuation
Based on the forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E), which is commonly used for valuing business information services stocks, the industry is currently trading at 18.67X compared with the S&P 500's 20.88X and the sector's 17.02X.
Over the past five years, the industry has traded at a high of 32.54X and a low of 17.8X, with a median of 25.49X.
3 Business Information Service Stocks in Focus
We are presenting three stocks that are well-positioned to grow in the near term.
Recruit Holdings Co., Ltd.: The company offers human resources and digital solutions services globally.
The Human Resources Technology segment is the company's largest growth driver and plays a significant role in the company's overall sustainability. The segment provides efficient and scalable recruitment solutions to millions of users worldwide through advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence capabilities. Its Marketing Matching Technologies segment growth is another key catalyst of the company's financial well-being, offering multiple online platforms and software solutions designed to connect consumers and businesses across industries, such as housing, travel, dining, beauty and education.
The company's long-term strategy of continued investment in technology and digital transformation is also paving the way to success. RCRUY leverages artificial intelligence, machine learning and data-driven insights to enhance user experiences and improve matching accuracy across its platforms. Additionally, acquisitions and partnerships have also expanded the company's global reach, revenue streams and technological expertise.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company's fiscal 2026 EPS has increased 3.9% in the past 60 days to 53 cents. RCRUY currently has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Iron Mountain Incorporated: It is a global provider of records & information management services and data center space & solutions.
IRM consistently drives growth through highly recurring storage rental fees, sustained by effective revenue management and strong customer retention. The company reported that its consolidated storage rental revenues grew 15.5% year over year, while global records and information management storage rental revenues rose 8.7% in its last reported quarter.
The Global Data Center business is the key driver for IRM's overall growth. The business is benefiting from sustained enterprise and hyperscale demand for secure, interconnected capacity. Revenues from the data center business increased 47.1% year over year to $254.7 million, supported primarily by storage rental revenue growth of 46% and an adjusted EBITDA margin growth of 52.1%.
The completion of Project Matterhorn, aimed at shifting from a product-based approach to a solutions-led sales model and building a more standardized global operating platform in 2025, elevated the company's first-quarter 2026 performance. Total revenues increased 21.6% year over year to $1.94 billion, with organic revenue growth of 17.2%. Adjusted EBITDA rose 22.1% to $708 million during the said time frame.
Iron Mountain continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to its shareholders, paying consistent dividends over time. Recently, the company declared a quarterly cash dividend, payable in July 2026, following the 10% dividend increase announced in late 2025.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company's 2026 EPS has increased 2.3% in the past 60 days to $5.85. IRM currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Verisk Analytics: The company offers data analytics and technology solutions to the insurance industry.
VRSK continues to strengthen the quality of its revenue stream, with subscription revenues accounting for more than 80% of total revenues in 2025. The company has been raising prices during contract renewals, supporting growth in annualized recurring revenues. Its transition from a transaction-based model to a subscription-driven framework enhances revenue visibility and stability. Subscription fees are typically paid in advance, either quarterly or at the start of the subscription period, supporting stronger cash flow.
Additionally, markets tend to assign higher valuations to SaaS-oriented companies, creating long-term value for shareholders. New offerings such as Claims Coverage Identifier and Provider Scoring are expected to attract new clients while encouraging existing customers to adopt subscription-based solutions.
VRSK has also consistently rewarded shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, steadily increasing returns. Meanwhile, its liquidity position remains solid, with a current ratio of 1.2 at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, above the industry level and comfortably indicating the company's ability to meet short-term obligations.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company's 2026 EPS has marginally increased in the past 60 days to $7.63. VRSK currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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