Investing IdeasBrowse All StocksMarkets
Have your own idea? Try our Stock Screener
Header cover image

U.K. (FTSE) Professional Services Industry Analysis

UpdatedJun 01, 2026
DataAggregated Company Financials
Companies37
  • 7D-0.3%
  • 3M-1.4%
  • 1Y-32.2%
  • YTD-16.7%

Last week, the Professional Services industry hasn't moved much but RELX is up 3.9% in that time. Unfortunately though, the industry is down 32% over the past 12 months. Looking forward, earnings are forecast to grow by 11% annually.

Industry Valuation and Performance

Has the U.K. Professional Services Industry valuation changed over the past few years?

DateMarket CapRevenueEarningsPEAbsolute PEPS
Tue, 02 Jun 2026UK£80.0bUK£36.4bUK£3.4b19.1x23.5x2.2x
Thu, 30 Apr 2026UK£83.6bUK£36.0bUK£3.3b18.8x25.3x2.3x
Sat, 28 Mar 2026UK£75.2bUK£33.7bUK£3.5b15.9x21.6x2.2x
Mon, 23 Feb 2026UK£78.1bUK£36.0bUK£3.5b19.7x22.3x2.2x
Wed, 21 Jan 2026UK£97.1bUK£36.1bUK£3.4b21.1x28.8x2.7x
Fri, 19 Dec 2025UK£100.0bUK£36.1bUK£3.4b19.6x29.5x2.8x
Sun, 16 Nov 2025UK£101.1bUK£35.9bUK£3.5b20.9x29.2x2.8x
Tue, 14 Oct 2025UK£108.0bUK£35.5bUK£3.3b21.7x32.7x3x
Thu, 11 Sep 2025UK£110.6bUK£36.0bUK£3.4b22x32.9x3.1x
Sat, 09 Aug 2025UK£114.4bUK£36.3bUK£3.4b21.4x33.9x3.2x
Mon, 07 Jul 2025UK£121.3bUK£36.6bUK£3.4b22.6x35.2x3.3x
Wed, 04 Jun 2025UK£121.7bUK£36.6bUK£3.4b22.7x35.6x3.3x
Fri, 02 May 2025UK£124.1bUK£36.5bUK£3.4b22.8x36.1x3.4x
Sun, 30 Mar 2025UK£121.0bUK£37.2bUK£3.5b23.4x34.7x3.3x
Tue, 25 Feb 2025UK£123.7bUK£37.7bUK£3.4b28.8x36.6x3.3x
Thu, 23 Jan 2025UK£127.7bUK£38.0bUK£3.4b28.6x37.8x3.4x
Sat, 21 Dec 2024UK£115.7bUK£37.8bUK£3.4b23.7x34.4x3.1x
Mon, 18 Nov 2024UK£114.7bUK£37.8bUK£3.3b23.1x35.3x3x
Wed, 16 Oct 2024UK£132.1bUK£37.4bUK£3.2b22.1x40.8x3.5x
Fri, 13 Sep 2024UK£119.4bUK£37.4bUK£3.2b24.5x37.1x3.2x
Sun, 11 Aug 2024UK£116.1bUK£38.1bUK£3.3b21.9x34.7x3x
Tue, 09 Jul 2024UK£118.6bUK£38.5bUK£3.1b19.2x37.9x3.1x
Thu, 06 Jun 2024UK£118.5bUK£38.5bUK£3.1b20.2x37.7x3.1x
Sat, 04 May 2024UK£111.0bUK£38.4bUK£3.0b19.1x36.7x2.9x
Mon, 01 Apr 2024UK£113.7bUK£38.4bUK£3.0b22.5x37.6x3x
Wed, 28 Feb 2024UK£114.1bUK£40.6bUK£3.2b19.4x35.3x2.8x
Fri, 26 Jan 2024UK£111.0bUK£41.7bUK£3.3b19.8x33.3x2.7x
Sun, 24 Dec 2023UK£105.7bUK£41.7bUK£3.3b22.4x31.7x2.5x
Tue, 21 Nov 2023UK£100.3bUK£41.7bUK£3.5b17.4x28.8x2.4x
Thu, 19 Oct 2023UK£96.3bUK£41.8bUK£3.3b17.1x29.3x2.3x
Sat, 16 Sep 2023UK£95.9bUK£41.6bUK£3.3b19.8x29.4x2.3x
Mon, 14 Aug 2023UK£92.8bUK£41.1bUK£3.3b17.8x28.3x2.3x
Wed, 12 Jul 2023UK£89.1bUK£39.6bUK£3.3b15.6x27.2x2.2x
Fri, 09 Jun 2023UK£93.1bUK£39.7bUK£3.3b16.6x28.3x2.3x
Price to Earnings Ratio

28.3x


Total Market Cap: UK£93.1bTotal Earnings: UK£3.3bTotal Revenue: UK£39.7bTotal Market Cap vs Earnings and Revenue0%0%0%
U.K. Professional Services Industry Price to Earnings3Y Average 32.5x202420252026
Current Industry PE
  • Investors are pessimistic on the British Professional Services industry, indicating that they anticipate long term growth rates will be lower than they have historically.
  • The industry is trading at a PE ratio of 23.5x which is lower than its 3-year average PE of 32.5x.
  • The 3-year average PS ratio of 2.8x is higher than the industry's current PS ratio of 2.2x.
Past Earnings Growth
  • The earnings for companies in the Professional Services industry have remained mostly flat over the last three years.
  • Meanwhile revenues for these companies have declined 2.9% per year.
  • This means that the cost of doing business could be reducing since sales have declined but profits have remained steady.

Industry Trends

Which industries have driven the changes within the U.K. Industrials industry?

GB Market-0.29%
Industrials2.40%
Professional Services-0.26%
HR Services3.60%
Research and Consulting Services-0.36%
Industry PE
  • Investors are most optimistic about the Research and Consulting Services industry even though it's trading below its 3-year average PE ratio of 32.8x.
    • Analysts are expecting annual earnings growth of 9.8%, which is lower than the prior year's growth of 16.0% per year.
Forecasted Growth
  • Analysts are most optimistic on the HR Services industry, expecting annual earnings growth of 69% over the next 5 years.
  • This is better than its past earnings decline of 3.2% per year.
  • In contrast, the Research and Consulting Services industry is expected to see its earnings grow by 9.8% per year over the next few years.

Top Stock Gainers and Losers

Which companies have driven the market over the last 7 days?

CompanyLast Price7D1YValuation
REL RELXUK£25.433.9%
+UK£1.7b		-36.5%PE21.8x
EXPN ExperianUK£26.763.3%
+UK£761.0m		-27.2%PE21.5x
DATA GlobalDataUK£1.107.8%
+UK£58.6m		-38.2%PE24.4x
HAS HaysUK£0.349.2%
+UK£46.1m		-51.9%PS0.08x
RWS RWS HoldingsUK£1.0911.8%
+UK£42.7m		38.1%PS0.6x

Latest News

STEM
UK£1.68
SThree
7D
7.1%
1Y
-27.9%
Narrative Update • May 31

STEM: CFO Transition And Stable Margins Will Support Future Upside

Analysts have made a small upward revision to their price target for SThree to £2.41. This reflects modest tweaks to assumptions around the discount rate, revenue growth, profit margins and future P/E expectations.
CPI
UK£4.00
Capita
7D
6.0%
1Y
75.4%
Narrative Update • May 31

CPI: AI Partnerships And Margin Execution Will Support Higher Future Earnings

Analysts have trimmed their average price target for Capita to £3.00 from £4.05, citing concerns about the revenue trajectory while also incorporating a slightly improved profit margin outlook and a lower discount rate into their valuation work. Analyst Commentary Bullish analysts are focusing on how the latest price target revisions reflect a more balanced view of Capita, with revenue concerns now set against slightly better expectations for margins and risk.
RTC
UK£1.04
RTC Group
7D
-15.5%
1Y
6.2%
KEYS
UK£5.56
Keystone Law Group
7D
-1.1%
1Y
-10.0%
HAS
UK£0.34
Hays
7D
9.2%
1Y
-51.9%
Narrative Update • May 27

HAS: Recent Downgrade And New CEO Appointment Will Support Earnings Recovery

Analysts have trimmed their fair value estimate for Hays from £0.47 to £0.42. This reflects lower price targets after recent research updates that point to softer revenue trends, slightly weaker profit margins and a modestly higher required return, even as future P/E expectations remain broadly similar.
SAG
UK£5.80
Science Group
7D
-0.9%
1Y
24.7%
RWA
UK£0.85
Robert Walters
7D
-8.2%
1Y
-59.7%
Narrative Update • May 25

RWA: Interim CFO Experience Will Support Rebound As Earnings Profile Improves

Analysts have adjusted their price target on Robert Walters to £2.25, reflecting updated assumptions for discount rate, revenue growth, profit margin and future P/E, which together indicate a refined view of the stock’s risk and earnings profile. What's in the News Chief Financial Officer David Bower has decided to retire and step down from the Board, with the change effective from March 30, 2026, while remaining available through a transition period (Key Developments).
EXPN
UK£26.76
Experian
7D
3.3%
1Y
-27.2%
New Narrative • May 23

AI And Data Platforms Will Drive Future Market Leadership And Margin Expansion

Catalysts About Experian Experian supplies data, analytics, decisioning and consumer credit services to businesses and individuals worldwide. What are the underlying business or industry changes driving this perspective?
ITRK
UK£53.55
Intertek Group
7D
-2.3%
1Y
12.6%
PAGE
UK£1.23
PageGroup
7D
4.1%
1Y
-54.7%
RWS
UK£1.09
RWS Holdings
7D
11.8%
1Y
38.1%
PPHC
UK£8.25
Public Policy Holding Company
7D
-3.5%
1Y
20.4%
REL
UK£25.43
RELX
7D
3.9%
1Y
-36.5%
Narrative Update • May 08

REL: Q4 Earnings Resilience And Buybacks Will Support Future Multiple

Analysts have slightly reduced their fair value estimate for RELX to £36.18 from £36.42. This change reflects modestly lower revenue growth assumptions and a marginally lower future P/E multiple, while still pointing to Q4 earnings resilience and limited observable impact from AI concerns.
MHA
UK£1.47
Mha
7D
-4.5%
1Y
38.7%
CTG
UK£1.43
Christie Group
7D
-5.0%
1Y
5.6%
DATA
UK£1.10
GlobalData
7D
7.8%
1Y
-38.2%