CBZ vs FCN: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. CBZ and FCN share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined CBZ and FCN exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

CBIZ, Inc. is a national professional-services firm that provides accounting and tax, financial advisory and consulting, employee benefits consulting, property and casualty insurance brokerage, and technology and managed IT services, primarily to middle-market businesses. It reports through three segments: Financial Services (the largest, covering accounting, tax, and advisory), Benefits and Insurance Services, and National Practices. Much of its revenue is recurring and fee-based, tied to compliance calendars, benefits renewals, and long-standing client relationships rather than a single product cycle. Its November 2024 acquisition of Marcum LLP, valued at roughly $2.3 billion, was the largest deal in its history and roughly doubled the company's scale, pushing combined annualized revenue toward $2.8 billion and making CBIZ the largest advisor of its kind in the US.

Full CBZ guide

FTI Consulting is a global expert firm that advises corporations, law firms, governments, and financial institutions through five segments: Corporate Finance and Restructuring (its largest, roughly 41% of revenue), Forensic and Litigation Consulting (~20%), Economic Consulting (~19%), Technology (~10%), and Strategic Communications (~10%). Its work spans turnaround and restructuring, transactions, disputes and investigations, antitrust and regulatory economics, e-discovery, and corporate reputation. The firm employs roughly 8,100 people, of whom about 6,400 are billable professionals, and generates around 63% of revenue from US-based professionals.

Full FCN guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• CBZ drivers: Marcum integration and scale synergies; Recurring, fee-based revenue base.
• FCN drivers: Restructuring and Corporate Finance strength; Record Strategic Communications demand.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: CBIZ carries acquisition-related debt from the Marcum deal, so higher-for-longer interest rates and slower deleveraging are a risk to earnings. For FCN, the Economic Consulting segment has been a clear drag, with revenue declining and swinging to a segment EBITDA loss on softer antitrust and economic-analysis demand plus elevated compensation.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick CBZ if you believe its drivers more; FCN if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the CBZ and FCN guides.

CBZ. CBIZ traded around $40 in July 2026, with a trailing P/E near 15 and a forward P/E closer to 9 on guided adjusted earnings, well below its multi-year average multiple. The valuation compression reflects the shift from acquisition-fueled 52% revenue growth in 2025 to guided low-to-mid single-digit organic growth in 2026. Reported quarterly results have at times included large non-operating gains from Marcum acquisition accounting, so adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow are the cleaner gauges of the underlying run-rate.

FCN. FCN traded around $157 in mid-July 2026, within a 52-week range of roughly $141 to $189. Its trailing P/E near 18x sits modestly below its longer-run historical average, reflecting margin worries even as revenue keeps growing. Valuation hinges on whether restructuring and communications strength can offset the Economic Consulting softness and cost pressure.

Headline figures (approximate, JULY 2026): CBZ shows revenue (ttm) ~$2.8B, q1 2026 revenue ~$848.6M (+1.3% YoY), 2026 revenue guidance ~$2.8B to $2.9B (2-5% growth), 2026 adjusted eps guidance ~$4.00 to $4.10 (raised); FCN shows revenue (fy2025) ~$3.79B, revenue (q1 2026) ~$983M (+9.5% YoY), 2026 revenue guidance ~$3.94B to $4.10B, 2026 eps guidance ~$8.90 to $9.60.

CBZ and FCN are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined CBZ and FCN exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.