RHI

Robert Half’s first quarter results met Wall Street’s revenue expectations but drew a negative market response as year-on-year sales declined. Management attributed the top-line softness to ongoing cautious client spending and a more challenging regulatory environment for its Protiviti consulting segment. CEO Keith Waddell pointed out that, despite these headwinds, “talent solutions delivered a second consecutive quarter of positive sequential growth on a same-day constant-currency basis,” while Protiviti faced fewer large-scale remediation projects as U.S. enforcement actions slowed. Is now the time to buy RHI? Find out in our full research report (it’s free). Revenue: $1.3 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.30 billion (3.8% year-on-year decline, in line) Adjusted EPS: $0.14 vs analyst estimates of $0.13 (9.2% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $44.65 million vs analyst estimates of $44.62 million (3.4% margin, in line) Operating Margin: 2.8%, in line with the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $2.75 billion While we enjoy listening to the management's commentary, our favorite part of earnings calls are the analyst questions. Those are unscripted and can often highlight topics that management teams would rather avoid or topics where the answer is complicated. Here is what has caught our attention. Trevor Romeo (William Blair) asked whether the projected Q3 growth is based solely on current revenue run rates or assumes further improvement. CEO Keith Waddell replied that guidance is somewhat conservative and based primarily on existing run rates, with potential upside if current momentum continues. Mark Marcon (Baird) pressed for details on Protiviti’s cost actions and whether headcount reductions are concentrated in risk and compliance. Waddell confirmed that most of the severance is related to regulatory enforcement work, and the cost actions are focused accordingly. Andrew Steinerman (JPMorgan) inquired about the trajectory of the expected revenue recovery. Waddell expressed optimism, citing pent-up demand and lean client staffing, but acknowledged uncertainty due to past “false starts” from external shocks like tariffs and geopolitical events. Jeffrey Silber (BMO Capital Markets) questioned whether Robert Half is adding internal hires in talent solutions. Waddell said capacity remains sufficient for now, but expects leverage as demand improves and noted th...

Image source: The Motley Fool. Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET Chief Executive Officer — M. Keith Waddell Chief Financial Officer — Michael Buckley For the first quarter of 2026, global enterprise revenues were $1.3 billion, down 4% from last year's first quarter on a reported basis and down 6% on an adjusted basis. We're very pleased that talent solutions delivered a second consecutive quarter of positive sequential growth on a same-day constant-currency basis with revenue trends strengthening as the quarter progressed and into early April. Overall, we believe market conditions are becoming increasingly conducive to our business and our unique combination of award-winning high-tech capabilities and high-touch expertise positions us well to deliver meaningful value for clients in navigating a dynamic business environment. Net income per share in the first quarter was $0.14 compared to $0.17 in the first quarter a year ago. As Mike will discuss, first quarter EPS was impacted by a seasonally elevated tax rate, tied to stock-based compensation, which we expect to normalize as the year progresses. We remain very well positioned to capitalize on emerging opportunities and support our clients' talent and consulting needs through the strength of our industry-leading brand, people, technology and unique business model that includes both professional staffing and business consulting services. Cash flow used in operations during the first quarter was $112 million. Cash outflows are seasonally elevated each year in the first quarter due to the annual payment cycle for bonuses and SaaS subscription renewals, among others. In March, we distributed a $0.59 per share cash dividend to our shareholders of record for a total cash outlay of $62 million. Return on invested capital for the company was 4% in the first quarter. Now I'll turn the call back over to our CFO, Mike Buckley. Michael Buckley: Thank you, Keith, and hello, everyone. As Keith noted, global revenues were $1.3 billion in the first quarter. On an adjusted basis, first quarter talent solutions revenues were down 7% year-over-year. U.S. talent solutions revenues were $626 million, down 7% from the prior year's first quarter. Non-U.S. talent solutions revenues were $208 million, down 3% year-over-year. We conduct talent solutions operations throughout offices in the United States and 18 other countries. In...

Robert Half recently reported quarterly results showing earnings per share above analyst expectations, while revenue of US$1.30 billion reflected a 3.8% year-on-year decline and underperformance versus professional staffing peers. This combination of an earnings beat with comparatively weak revenue momentum against its peer group has raised questions about the strength of Robert Half's underlying demand trends. We’ll now examine how this earnings beat paired with comparatively weak revenue growth versus peers could reshape Robert Half’s investment narrative. We've uncovered the 10 dividend fortresses yielding 5%+ that don't just survive market storms, but thrive in them. To own Robert Half, you have to believe its mix of talent solutions and Protiviti consulting can translate tight cost control and technology investment into healthier margins, even if revenue growth is modest. The latest quarter’s EPS beat alongside a 3.8% revenue decline and an 8.1% share price drop puts the spotlight on whether margin gains are sustainable or simply masking weaker demand, making near term revenue stabilization and cost discipline the key catalyst and risk. Against this backdrop, the recent approval of another US$0.59 quarterly dividend on 30 April 2026 is particularly relevant. It signals management’s current confidence in cash generation despite softer topline trends and rising SG&A, but it also raises questions about how long such payouts can be maintained if revenue and margins remain under pressure. For investors watching for a turn, the interaction between dividend commitments, cost actions and demand trends will be central. Yet behind the reassuring dividend, there is a growing risk investors should be aware of if revenue softness and higher SG&A persist... Read the full narrative on Robert Half (it's free!) Robert Half's narrative projects $5.9 billion revenue and $313.2 million earnings by 2028. This requires 1.9% yearly revenue growth and a $135.1 million earnings increase from $178.1 million today. Uncover how Robert Half's forecasts yield a $32.39 fair value, a 19% upside to its current price. Before this earnings miss versus peers, the most bearish analysts were already assuming only about 2.2 percent annual revenue growth and US$220.7 million of earnings by 2029, so this latest report may reinforce their more cautious view or prompt you to reassess which narra...

Investing.com -- Artificial intelligence is beginning to account for a significantly larger share of corporate workforce reductions, according to a UBS Global Research report issued on May 13, 2026. The findings reveal that while enterprise adoption of AI tools remains a gradual process, corporate optimism regarding its future impact on labor cost reduction is actively accelerating. A recent institutional survey conducted by UBS showed that 42% of corporate respondents now expect artificial intelligence to lead them to somewhat or significantly reduce their overall hiring pipelines. The latest figure marks a notable increase from the 31% of respondents who anticipated similar labor reductions in October 2025. The shift in corporate sentiment aligns with external data tracking public workforce adjustments across major industries. According to the latest Job Cuts Report published by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, 26% of announced corporate layoffs in the most recent month were explicitly attributed to artificial intelligence initiatives. The monthly surge has pushed the year-to-date share of AI-driven job cuts to 16% of all recorded announcements. For comparison, artificial intelligence accounted for 0% of public layoff announcements at this exact point last year, and made up just 5% of total job cuts over the entirety of 2025. UBS economist Arend Kapteyn noted that while the Challenger dataset clearly indicates a pick-up in layoff momentum, it is not fully representative of broader labor market flows, which regularly see 1.5 million to 2 million monthly discharges. Because the Challenger report focuses heavily on public announcements, the data captures roughly 100,000 job cuts per month, representing about 5% of total layoffs, and remains structurally skewed toward larger, tech-heavy corporations. Related articles A quarter of recent layoffs has been attributed to AI Goldman expects lower but still attractive stock market returns in 2026 Wolfe Research outlines eight risks that could spark stock declines in 2026

Only 12% say they have the talent they need to complete high-priority projects 54% say AI-generated applications has made hiring more difficult MENLO PARK, Calif., May 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- May is National Small Business Month, and new research from talent solutions and business consulting firm Robert Half shows many small business leaders are optimistic about the year ahead, even as hiring grows more complex amid widening skills gaps and evolving technology. A survey of more than 250 U.S. small business leaders (fewer than 100 employees) shows that 76% are confident about their company's hiring outlook for the year ahead. Yet 47% say finding skilled talent is more difficult than one year ago, and only 12% say they have the talent needed to complete high-priority projects. AI adoption and skills gaps intensify hiring challenges Over the next 2 years, 41% of small business leaders expect a net increase in jobs at their organizations amid the rise of AI. At the same time, more than half (56%) report significant skills gaps on their teams, and 58% say those gaps have increased over the past year. "Widening skills gaps are making it harder for small businesses to successfully compete and grow," said Dawn Fay, operational president of Robert Half. "Organizations that adapt their hiring strategies, invest in upskilling and leverage specialized expertise are better positioned to compete in today's business landscape." How have AI-generated candidate materials complicated hiring? The rapid adoption of AI tools among job seekers is introducing new hiring challenges. More than half of small business leaders (54%) say AI-generated applications have made hiring more difficult, primarily due to an influx of homogeneous applications that are difficult to authenticate. As a result, many small businesses are seeking support from external partners, and 56% are more likely to work with a staffing firm due to AI-related hiring challenges. Of those, 84% report that those partners have been effective in addressing these obstacles—particularly by validating candidate information and identifying specialized talent for critical roles. "Many small businesses don't have the resources to manage the surge in applications that can be difficult to authenticate," Fay added. "While AI has made job searching more efficient, it has also increased the need for trusted human experts who can...

The market wasn't impressed with the soft earnings from Robert Half Inc. (NYSE:RHI) recently. Our analysis has found some reasons to be concerned, beyond the weak headline numbers. AI is about to change healthcare. These 20 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10bn in marketcap - there is still time to get in early. Importantly, our data indicates that Robert Half's profit received a boost of US$12m in unusual items, over the last year. We can't deny that higher profits generally leave us optimistic, but we'd prefer it if the profit were to be sustainable. When we analysed the vast majority of listed companies worldwide, we found that significant unusual items are often not repeated. And, after all, that's exactly what the accounting terminology implies. If Robert Half doesn't see that contribution repeat, then all else being equal we'd expect its profit to drop over the current year. That might leave you wondering what analysts are forecasting in terms of future profitability. Luckily, you can click here to see an interactive graph depicting future profitability, based on their estimates. Arguably, Robert Half's statutory earnings have been distorted by unusual items boosting profit. Because of this, we think that it may be that Robert Half's statutory profits are better than its underlying earnings power. Sadly, its EPS was down over the last twelve months. At the end of the day, it's essential to consider more than just the factors above, if you want to understand the company properly. If you want to do dive deeper into Robert Half, you'd also look into what risks it is currently facing. When we did our research, we found 2 warning signs for Robert Half (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that we believe deserve your full attention. Today we've zoomed in on a single data point to better understand the nature of Robert Half's profit. But there are plenty of other ways to inform your opinion of a company. For example, many people consider a high return on equity as an indication of favorable business economics, while others like to 'follow the money' and search out stocks that insiders are buying. While it might take a little research on your behalf, you may find this free collection of companies boasting high return on equity, or this list of stocks with significant insider holdings to...

Xerox Holdings XRX reported better-than-expected first-quarter 2026 results. Quarterly adjusted loss came in at 11 cents per share compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate loss of 20 cents and decreased 83.3% from the year-ago quarter. Revenues of $1.85 billion beat the consensus estimate by 4% and increased 26.7% on a year-over-year basis. Xerox Holdings Corporation price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Xerox Holdings Corporation Quote The impressive results had a positive impact on the market, as the company’s shares have gained 15.6% since the earnings release on April 30. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The company’s shares have depreciated 51.9% over the past year compared with the Office Supplies industry’s 27.9% decline and the S&P 500’s 33.3% rise. Post-sale revenues totaled $1.31 billion, up 30.1% year over year on a reported basis and 26.5% at cc, lagging our estimate of $1.46 billion. Equipment sales rose 33.1% year over year on a reported basis and 30.7% at cc to $378 million, beating our estimate of $315.8 million. The Print and Other segment’s revenues totaled $1.69 billion, up 30.8% year over year on a reported basis and down 3.5% at cc, beating our estimate of $1.59 billion. Sales revenues amounted to $920 million, up 65.2% year over year on a reported basis and declined 2% at cc. Services, maintenance, rentals and other revenues amounted to $926 million, up 3% on a year over year basis. Adjusted operating income totaled $72 million, improved more than 100% on a year-over-year basis. The adjusted operating margin was 3.9%, up 240 basis points year over year. Xerox exited the first-quarter with a cash and cash equivalent balance of $585 million compared with $512 million in the December-end quarter of 2025. The company’s net cash provided by operating activities and free cash flow for the quarter were $144 million and $165 million, respectively. For 2026, the adjusted operating income is projected to be in the band of $450-$500 million. The company anticipates free cash flow of approximately $250 million. Xerox expects the 2026 revenues to be above $7.5 billion. XRX currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. ManpowerGroup MAN reported impressive first-quarter 2026 results, with both earnings and revenues beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate. MAN’s adjusted earni...

FTI Consulting, Inc. FCN reported mixed second-quarter 2026 results, wherein the earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but revenues beat the same. The stock lost 6.3% since the earnings release on April 30 in response to the earnings miss. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Quarterly adjusted earnings per share (EPS) came in at $1.90, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.11 and decreased 17% year over year. Meanwhile, total revenues of $983.4 million beat the consensus estimate by 1% and increased 9.5% year over year. FTI Consulting, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | FTI Consulting, Inc. Quote FTI Consulting shares have gained 1.7% over the past year against the 39.7% decline in the industry it belongs to and a 33.8% rise in the Zacks S&P 500 composite. Technology revenues increased 5.3% year over year to $102.3 million, driven by higher demand for litigation and information governance, privacy and security services, partially offset by lower demand for investigations and M&A-related second request services. Economic Consulting revenues dropped 2.4% year over year to $175.65 million, primarily due to lower demand for antitrust services, partially offset by higher demand for financial economic services and higher realized bill rates. Corporate Finance & Restructuring revenues gained 19.2% year over year to $409.5 million. The increase was primarily driven by higher demand and realized bill rates in turnaround and restructuring, which grew 19%, transactions, up 18%. and transformation, up 20%, compared with the prior-year quarter. Strategic Communications revenues increased 18.4% year over year to $103 million. The increase was primarily driven by higher demand for corporate reputation, public affairs and financial communications services. Forensic and Litigation Consulting revenues rose 1.2% year over year to $192.9 million, driven by higher realized bill rates for risk investigation and construction solutions services, partially offset by lower demand for dispute advisory services. Adjusted EBITDA came in at $96.8 million, down 16% on a year-over-year basis. The adjusted EBITDA margin declined 300 basis points year over year to 9.8%. FTI Consulting exited the quarter with a cash and cash equivalent of $198.3 million compared with $265.1 million in the prior quarter. FCN generated $310 million of cash from operating activities...

MENLO PARK, Calif., April 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Robert Half Inc. (NYSE: RHI) today announced that its board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.59 per share on the company's common stock. The dividend is payable on June 15, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 22, 2026. About Robert Half Robert Half is the world's first and largest specialized talent solutions and business consulting firm, connecting highly skilled job seekers with rewarding opportunities at great companies. We offer contract talent and permanent placement solutions in the fields of finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support, and we also provide executive search services. Robert Half is the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm that delivers internal audit, risk, business and technology consulting solutions. In the past 12 months, Robert Half has been recognized as one of America's Most Innovative Companies by Fortune and, with Protiviti, has been named as a Fortune® Most Admired Company™ and one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For®. Explore talent solutions, research and insights at roberthalf.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/robert-half-announces-quarterly-dividend-302759541.html View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2026/30/c4802.html

Robert Half Inc. RHI reported first-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings of 14 cents per share, in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate and down 17.6% from the year-ago quarter. Quarterly revenues were $1.3 billion, down 3.8% year over year and slightly below the consensus mark of $1.31 billion, implying a 0.9% miss. Management pointed to strengthening same-day, constant-currency trends in talent solutions as the quarter progressed and into early April, with contract bill rates up 2.6% from a year ago on an adjusted basis. Talent solutions remained under year-over-year pressure, even as sequential momentum improved. Contract talent solutions revenues were $725.0 million, down 5.0% from the prior-year period. Permanent placement talent solutions produced $109.0 million of revenue, a 2.8% decline year over year. Protiviti posted revenues of $466.2 million, down 2.2% from the first quarter of 2025. In prepared remarks, management noted that global enterprise revenues fell 4% on a reported basis and 6% on an adjusted basis, while currency movements lifted reported year-over-year total revenues by $24 million. Profitability metrics were mixed but generally steady in key areas. Contract talent solutions’ gross margin was 38.9% of applicable revenues, unchanged from the year-ago quarter. Conversion (contract-to-hire) revenues were 3.1% of contract revenues versus 3.2% a year earlier. Within the talent solutions mix, permanent placement revenues were 13.1% of consolidated talent solutions revenues, up from 12.8% in the prior-year quarter. Overall gross margin for talent solutions was 46.8% versus 46.7% a year ago. Protiviti's gross margin improved to 19.2% from 18.9%, while its adjusted gross margin for Protiviti rose to 18.8% from 18.1%. Robert Half Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Robert Half Inc. Quote Operating income in the first quarter was $36.9 million. On an adjusted basis, operating income was $28.7 million, or 2.2% of revenues, with adjusted operating income of $15.4 million for talent solutions and $13.3 million for Protiviti. Below the operating line, the quarter reflected an $8 million loss from investments held in employee deferred compensation trusts, which management said was fully offset by an equal amount of lower deferred compensation costs and had no effect on reported net income. The tax rate was the biggest swing factor: Robert Half’s first...

For the quarter ended March 2026, Robert Half (RHI) reported revenue of $1.3 billion, down 3.8% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.14, compared to $0.17 in the year-ago quarter. The reported revenue represents a surprise of -0.91% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.31 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.14, the EPS surprise was -2.3%. While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health. As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately. Here is how Robert Half performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts: Service Revenues- Contract talent solutions- Elimination of intersegment: $-116.83 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $-119.58 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -0.9%. Service Revenues- Contract talent solutions- Administrative and customer support: $149.34 million versus $159.8 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -9.8% change. Service Revenues- Total contract talent solutions: $725.02 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $724.38 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -5%. Service Revenues- Contract talent solutions- Technology: $153.76 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $158.99 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +0.8%. Service Revenues- Protiviti: $466.16 million versus $476.65 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -2.2% change. Service Revenues- Contract talent solutions- Finance & Accounting: $538.75 million compared to the $525.16 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -4.3% year over year. Service Revenues- Permanent placement talent solutions: $109 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $111.4 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -2.8%. View all Key Comp...

Robert Half (RHI) reported Q1 net income late Thursday of $0.14 per diluted share, down from $0.17 a