Reflecting On Specialized Consumer Services Stocks’ Q3 Earnings: Mister Car Wash (NASDAQ:MCW)

The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how specialized consumer services stocks fared in Q3, starting with Matthews .

Some consumer discretionary companies don’t fall neatly into a category because their products or services are unique. Although their offerings may be niche, these companies have often found more efficient or technology-enabled ways of doing or selling something that has existed for a while. Technology can be a double-edged sword, though, as it may lower the barriers to entry for new competitors and allow them to do serve customers better.

The 11 specialized consumer services stocks we track reported a mixed Q3. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 19.3% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

While some specialized consumer services stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 2.4% since the latest earnings results.

Best Q3: Matthews

Originally a death care company, Matthews International is a diversified company offering ceremonial services, brand solutions and industrial technologies.

Matthews reported revenues of $318.8 million, down 28.6% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 9.6%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Matthews pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 9.5% since reporting and currently trades at $27.00.

H&R Block

Founded in 1955 by brothers Henry W. Bloch and Richard A. Bloch, H&R Block is a tax preparation company offering professional tax assistance and financial solutions to individuals and small businesses.

H&R Block reported revenues of $203.6 million, up 5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. The business had a strong quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

H&R Block pulled off the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 15.4% since reporting. It currently trades at $43.53.

1-800-FLOWERS

Founded in 1976, 1-800-FLOWERS is an online retailer of flowers, gifts, and gourmet foods, serving customers globally.

1-800-FLOWERS reported revenues of $215.2 million, down 11.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 33.3% since the results and currently trades at $4.66.

Read our full analysis of 1-800-FLOWERS’s results here.

Pool

Founded in 1993 and headquartered in Louisiana, Pool is one of the largest wholesale distributors of swimming pool supplies, equipment, and related leisure products.

Pool reported revenues of $1.45 billion, up 1.3% year on year. This result was in line with analysts’ expectations. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced full-year EPS guidance slightly topping analysts’ expectations but organic revenue in line with analysts’ estimates.

The stock is down 20.5% since reporting and currently trades at $236.57.

Read our full, actionable report on Pool here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Mister Car Wash

Formerly known as Hotshine Holdings, Mister Car Wash (NYSE:MCW) offers car washes across the United States through its conveyorized service.

Mister Car Wash reported revenues of $263.4 million, up 5.7% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. Overall, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ same-store sales estimates.

The stock is up 8% since reporting and currently trades at $5.62.

Read our full, actionable report on Mister Car Wash here, it’s free for active Edge members.

What Happened?

Shares of e-commerce florist and gift retailer 1-800-FLOWERS fell 8.1% in the afternoon session after investors took profits following a significant rally driven by news of a key executive appointment. 

The stock had previously soared after the company announced it appointed an executive to support its transformation and artificial intelligence adoption. That news had been welcomed by investors, leading to a sharp run-up in the share price. The subsequent decline appeared to be a technical correction as some market participants cashed in on the recent gains.

The stock market overreacts to news, and big price drops can present good opportunities to buy high-quality stocks. Is now the time to buy 1-800-FLOWERS? Access our full analysis report here.

What Is The Market Telling Us

1-800-FLOWERS’s shares are extremely volatile and have had 42 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 2 days ago when the stock gained 18.2% on the news that the company announced the appointment of Alexander Zelikovsky as its new Chief Information Officer, which extended a rally from the previous trading session. 

This move continued the positive reaction from the prior day when the news was first released and the stock gained over 6%. Zelikovsky, a technology leader with over 25 years of experience, previously served as Executive Vice President and Global CIO at Pitney Bowes. His appointment is part of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM's strategy to accelerate its digital transformation under CEO Adolfo Villagomez. Zelikovsky will lead enterprise IT, data management, cybersecurity, and support for AI and digital commerce efforts. The market's sustained positive response suggested investor confidence in the new leadership to drive growth.

1-800-FLOWERS is down 42.8% since the beginning of the year, and at $4.47 per share, it is trading 50.9% below its 52-week high of $9.09 from February 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of 1-800-FLOWERS’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $197.83.

As the Q3 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the specialized consumer services industry, including LKQ and its peers.

Some consumer discretionary companies don’t fall neatly into a category because their products or services are unique. Although their offerings may be niche, these companies have often found more efficient or technology-enabled ways of doing or selling something that has existed for a while. Technology can be a double-edged sword, though, as it may lower the barriers to entry for new competitors and allow them to do serve customers better.

The 11 specialized consumer services stocks we track reported a mixed Q3. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 19.3% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 8.8% since the latest earnings results.

LKQ

A global distributor of vehicle parts and accessories, LKQ offers its customers a comprehensive selection of high-quality, affordably priced automobile products.

LKQ reported revenues of $3.50 billion, up 1.3% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. Overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates but full-year EBITDA guidance missing analysts’ expectations significantly.

“Our solid results this quarter underscore our confidence in our strategy and the momentum we are building toward sustained value creation. We are deploying capital in alignment with our disciplined capital allocation strategy and in support of our multiyear transformation plan. Following the Self Service divestiture, we have reduced our debt by more than $600 million since the end of the second quarter, further fortifying our balance sheet to navigate a challenging macro environment and reinforce a solid foundation for future growth,” stated Rick Galloway, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 3.4% since reporting and currently trades at $29.01.

Read our full report on LKQ here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Best Q3: Matthews

Originally a death care company, Matthews International is a diversified company offering ceremonial services, brand solutions and industrial technologies.

Matthews reported revenues of $318.8 million, down 28.6% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 9.6%. The business had a very strong quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Matthews scored the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The market seems content with the results as the stock is up 2.5% since reporting. It currently trades at $25.27.

Is now the time to buy Matthews? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Slowest Q3: 1-800-FLOWERS

Founded in 1976, 1-800-FLOWERS is an online retailer of flowers, gifts, and gourmet foods, serving customers globally.

1-800-FLOWERS reported revenues of $215.2 million, down 11.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 1.2%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 7.9% since the results and currently trades at $3.77.

Read our full analysis of 1-800-FLOWERS’s results here.

H&R Block

Founded in 1955 by brothers Henry W. Bloch and Richard A. Bloch, H&R Block is a tax preparation company offering professional tax assistance and financial solutions to individuals and small businesses.

H&R Block reported revenues of $203.6 million, up 5% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 1.5%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ adjusted operating income estimates.

H&R Block scored the highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The stock is down 19.4% since reporting and currently trades at $41.49.

Read our full, actionable report on H&R Block here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Carriage Services

Established in 1991, Carriage Services is a provider of funeral and cemetery services in the United States.

Carriage Services reported revenues of $102.7 million, up 2% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also recorded a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but full-year EBITDA guidance slightly missing analysts’ expectations.

The stock is down 4% since reporting and currently trades at $41.85.

Read our full, actionable report on Carriage Services here, it’s free for active Edge members.