Earnings results often indicate what direction a company will take in the months ahead. With Q4 behind us, let’s have a look at Verisk (NASDAQ: VRSK) and its peers.

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 strong Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.9% 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 4.9% since the latest earnings results.

Verisk (NASDAQ: VRSK)

Processing over 2.8 billion insurance transaction records annually through one of the world's largest private databases, Verisk Analytics (NASDAQ: VRSK) provides data, analytics, and technology solutions that help insurance companies assess risk, detect fraud, and make better business decisions.

Verisk reported revenues of $778.8 million, up 5.9% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 0.7%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a mixed quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Verisk delivered the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. The stock is down 1% since reporting and currently trades at $175.50.

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

Best Q4: 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 18.8% since reporting. It currently trades at $161.

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

Weakest Q4: 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 19.3% since the results and currently trades at $39.65.

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 print topped analysts’ expectations by 10.6%. It was an incredible quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

Planet Labs pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 34.7% since reporting and currently trades at $36.31.

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

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 $1.65 billion, up 8.1% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter as it also logged an impressive beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and full-year revenue guidance topping analysts’ expectations.

SS&C delivered the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is down 6.1% since reporting and currently trades at $70.37.

Read our full, actionable report on SS&C 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 Strong Momentum Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.