In the current market cycle, growing momentum may favor companies that are more services-oriented than product-focused and that are thus light on assets despite having solid free cash flow. Think companies in the software, financial services, insurance, or health care services spaces: all of these tend to earn fees or margins off of transactions that don't require physical production to execute. These firms can also convert a large share of their revenue into free cash flow due to a general lack of capital equipment.
Three companies in particular may fit this profile very well and may therefore be poised for success as the market shifts. Ryan Specialty Holdings Inc. (NYSE: RYAN), Kinsale Capital Group Inc. (NYSE: KNSL), and Casey’s General Stores Inc. (NASDAQ: CASY) may be nimble enough to grow revenue while keeping costs and assets down. Each also does so via different mechanisms and as part of a variety of industries.
Ryan Specialty Is an Insurance Industry Standout
Ryan Specialty is an insurance broker and managing general underwriter; it earns commissions for placing complex risks with insurance carriers on behalf of brokers. Crucially, Ryan does not take on insurance risk itself. The company specializes in cyber policies, professional liability programs, and similar scenarios.
Recent financial performance helps to confirm that this strategy has paid off. Ryan's Q2 2026 results were ahead of expectations on multiple metrics, including revenue of $917 million, an increase of 7.2% year over year (YOY), and adjusted earnings per share (EPS) that climbed by more than 12% over the same period.
The company's consistency is also key—it has delivered organic revenue growth in excess of 10% for several consecutive years, and adjusted EBITDA margins have expanded as the business has scaled.
Importantly, the specialty insurance industry has provided an essential tailwind.
Ryan Specialty's corner of the market has grown as an overall share of total U.S. property and casualty insurance premiums for several years. When standard carriers decline risks, Ryan can make money by helping to place them elsewhere. Ongoing complicating factors like climate risk, cyber concerns, AI, and the Iran conflict have all increased Ryan's usefulness.
Kinsale Capital Makes a Mark on the Underwriting Portion of Insurance
While Ryan Specialty is the distribution portion of the specialty insurance landscape, Kinsale focuses on the underwriting portion. The company uses proprietary data and analytics to perform faster and more accurately than competitors, allowing it to compound book value at more than 25% for five consecutive years.
For underwriters, combined ratio is a critical metric showing profitability, and Kinsale's has consistently been lower than 80%. This means it retains more than 20 cents out of every premium dollar as pure underwriting profit.
The company has also done very well recently with investment income, which climbed by almost 20% YOY for the latest quarter. This allowed Kinsale to widen its buyback program by $250 million, bringing its return to shareholders in this latest round to a total of $337 million.
Kinsale is also not without risks: the geopolitical complexities and other concerns that affect Ryan further expand the set of risks it faces. However, the companies are not competitors but rather co-participants in the same insurance ecosystem, meaning investors can invest in both without worrying about them stealing business from each other.
Casey's Is a Free Cash Flow Compounder in Retail
It may seem counterintuitive to include a company operating 2,700 convenience store locations in a list of asset-light free cash flow winners, but Casey's General Stores may be a name to consider, albeit a surprising one. The company has unique ways of generating profits: its prepared-food business, for example, has excellent margins comparable to those of leading fast-food companies. It also enjoys a strong loyalty program with enviable customer retention.
Casey's financial performance demonstrates its standing in the retail space. Revenue surged by 24% YOY last quarter, with same-store inside sales climbing by 6.5% at the same time.
Rewards member transactions climbed by 14% as the company's digital loyalty program thrived. Even after a recent sell-off, shares are still up about 10% year to date (YTD), and the stock climbed by more than 30% over the first half of the year.
The company also stands out among many of its retail competitors for analysts' optimism about its future stock trajectory.
Notably, 15 out of 21 consider it a Buy, and Wall Street sees more than 38% in possible upside, both signs that Casey's may be able to successfully navigate a landscape that has been punishing for many retailers.
The article "3 Nimble Free Cash Flow Names With Light Assets" first appeared on MarketBeat.
