As the Q2 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the professional staffing & hr solutions industry, including Kforce (NYSE: KFRC) and its peers.
The Professional Staffing & HR Solutions subsector within Business Services is set to benefit from evolving workforce trends, including the rise of remote work and the gig economy. With companies casting a wider net to find talent due to remote work, the expertise of staffing and recruiting companies is even more valuable. For those who invest wisely, the use of predictive AI in recruitment and screening as well as automation in HR workflows can enhance efficiency and scalability. On the other hand, digitization means that talent discovery is less of a manual process, opening the door for tech-first platforms. Additionally, regulatory scrutiny around data privacy in HR is evolving and may require companies in this sector to change their go-to-market strategies over time.
The 8 professional staffing & hr solutions stocks we track reported a mixed Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.6% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.1% below.
Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 16% since the latest earnings results.
Kforce (NYSE: KFRC)
With nearly 60 years of matching skilled professionals with the right opportunities, Kforce (NYSE: KFRC) is a professional staffing company that specializes in placing technology and finance experts with businesses on both temporary and permanent bases.
Kforce reported revenues of $334.3 million, down 6.2% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a slower quarter for the company with EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.
Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 36.4% since reporting and currently trades at $29.83.
Read our full report on Kforce here, it’s free.
Best Q2: First Advantage (NASDAQ: FA)
Processing approximately 100 million background checks annually across more than 200 countries and territories, First Advantage (NASDAQ: FA) provides employment background screening, identity verification, and compliance solutions to help companies manage hiring risks.
First Advantage reported revenues of $390.6 million, up 112% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.7%. The business had a very strong quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a decent beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.
First Advantage delivered the fastest revenue growth and 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 5.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $15.37.
Is now the time to buy First Advantage? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q2: Insperity (NYSE: NSP)
Pioneering the professional employer organization (PEO) industry it helped establish, Insperity (NYSE: NSP) provides human resources outsourcing services to small and medium-sized businesses, handling payroll, benefits, compliance, and HR administration.
Insperity reported revenues of $1.66 billion, up 3.3% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.
Insperity delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 17.1% since the results and currently trades at $49.44.
Read our full analysis of Insperity’s results here.
Robert Half (NYSE: RHI)
With roots dating back to 1948 as the first specialized recruiting firm for accounting and finance professionals, Robert Half (NYSE: RHI) provides specialized talent solutions and business consulting services, connecting skilled professionals with companies across various fields.
Robert Half reported revenues of $1.37 billion, down 7% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. It was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.
Robert Half had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 19.8% since reporting and currently trades at $34.02.
Read our full, actionable report on Robert Half here, it’s free.
Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY)
With clients including 97% of the S&P 100 and operations in 103 offices across 51 countries, Korn Ferry (NYSE: KFY) is a global consulting firm that helps organizations design optimal structures, recruit talent, develop leaders, and create effective compensation strategies.
Korn Ferry reported revenues of $715.5 million, up 4.8% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 2.5%. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter slightly missing analysts’ expectations.
The stock is down 3% since reporting and currently trades at $70.38.
Read our full, actionable report on Korn Ferry here, it’s free.
Market Update
Thanks to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been on a steady path downward, easing back toward that 2% sweet spot. Fortunately (miraculously to some), all this tightening didn’t send the economy tumbling into a recession, so here we are, cautiously celebrating a soft landing. The cherry on top? Recent rate cuts (half a point in September 2024, a quarter in November) have propped up markets, especially after Trump’s November win lit a fire under major indices and sent them to all-time highs. However, there’s still plenty to ponder — tariffs, corporate tax cuts, and what 2025 might hold for the economy.
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