Looking back on professional staffing & hr solutions stocks’ Q4 earnings, we examine this quarter’s best and worst performers, 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 Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.6% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.7% below.
Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 12.4% 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 $343.8 million, down 5.4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 0.5%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a mixed quarter for the company with a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates but EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.
The stock is down 15.1% since reporting and currently trades at $45.64.
Is now the time to buy Kforce? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Best Q4: Barrett (NASDAQ:BBSI)
Operating as a professional employer organization (PEO) that serves over 8,000 companies with more than 120,000 worksite employees, Barrett Business Services (NASDAQ:BBSI) provides management solutions that help small and mid-sized businesses handle human resources, payroll, workers' compensation, and other administrative functions.
Barrett reported revenues of $304.8 million, up 10.2% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.8%. The business had a strong quarter with a decent beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
Barrett delivered the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 3.6% since reporting. It currently trades at $39.01.
Is now the time to buy Barrett? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.
Weakest Q4: 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 $307.1 million, up 51.6% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 3.4%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.
First Advantage delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 27.1% since the results and currently trades at $13.51.
Read our full analysis of First Advantage’s results here.
ManpowerGroup (NYSE:MAN)
Founded during the post-World War II economic boom when businesses needed temporary workers, ManpowerGroup (NYSE:MAN) connects millions of people to employment opportunities through its global network of staffing, recruitment, and workforce management services.
ManpowerGroup reported revenues of $4.4 billion, down 5% year on year. This number was in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a strong quarter as it also put up a solid beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.
The stock is down 16.7% since reporting and currently trades at $50.31.
Read our full, actionable report on ManpowerGroup here, it’s free.
Market Update
Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.
Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.
Join Paid Stock Investor Research
Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here.