CDW Corporation CDW shares have lost 20.7% over the past three months, underperforming the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector’s return of 6.7% and the Zacks Computers - IT Services industry’s growth of 7.4%.

It has also lagged its key industry peers, including Grid Dynamics GDYN, Accenture ACN and DXC Technology’s DXC gains of 48.8%, 6.7% and 5.4%, respectively.

The underperformance was primarily led by a 2% decline in net sales to $5.52 billion for the third quarter of 2024, falling short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.72 billion. This was largely due to softened demand for hardware solutions, as clients curtailed spending amid inflationary pressures.

Subdued demand in the Corporate, Small Business and Public segments further impacted the company's overall financial performance.

Slowing Growth in Key Segments Raises Concerns for CDW

The Public segment generated $2.336 billion in revenues in the third quarter of 2024, marking a 3.6% decline from the prior-year quarter. This drop was primarily led by a 10.9% decrease in net sales to Government customers and a 3% decline in Education customers.

The Corporate segment generated $2.161 billion in revenues for the third quarter of 2024, representing a 2.9% year-over-year decline. This decrease resulted from reduced demand and lower IT spending within corporate clients.

The Small Business segment recorded net sales of $380 million, showing a modest 0.3% year-over-year increase, indicating slight growth despite challenging market conditions.

Earnings Estimates Trend Downward

For the fourth quarter of 2024, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $2.33 per share. This estimate has decreased 14.3% over the past 60 days and suggests a year-over-year decline of 9.34%.

For 2024, the consensus mark for earnings is pegged at $9.38 per share, marking a 5.9% downward revision over the past 60 days. The estimate indicates a year-over-year decline of 5.06%.

CDW has an unfavorable earnings surprise history. The company missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the last four quarters and matched it in one, resulting in an average negative surprise of 2.65%.

Cloud Adoption to Aid CDW’s Prospects

CDW delivered robust growth in its Cloud and Endpoint Solutions, driven by strong customer demand and effective execution. Cloud gross profit rose in the double digits in the third quarter of 2024, reflecting the increasing adoption of cloud-based services and solutions by businesses. This growth underscores CDW's ability to capitalize on shifting market trends as organizations prioritize digital transformation and hybrid work environments.

Recently, CDW announced the acquisition of Mission Cloud Services Inc., a leading provider of professional services, managed services and consulting focused on Amazon Web Services. This acquisition enhances CDW's Digital Velocity division, which covers cloud, data, AI and software platform engineering, and helps expand its presence in the growing cloud services market.

CDW’s Zacks Rank & Valuation

While CDW demonstrated strengths in the cloud solutions, services and healthcare segments, it faced challenges with declining hardware demand, flat profit margins and reduced sales in key segments in the third quarter of 2024.

The company’s Value Score of C indicates a stretched valuation at this moment. It currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), which implies that investors should stay away from the stock for the time being.

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Accenture PLC (ACN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

CDW Corporation (CDW) : Free Stock Analysis Report

DXC Technology Company. (DXC) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. (GDYN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research