HireQuest (NASDAQ:HQI) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.02 EPS

HireQuest (NASDAQ:HQI) posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday. The company reported $0.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.11 by $0.02, FiscalAI reports. HireQuest had a return on equity of 14.41% and a net margin of 20.66%.The firm had revenue of $6.52 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.75 million.

Here are the key takeaways from HireQuest’s conference call:

• HireQuest said Q1 2026 was another solid quarter of operational execution and profitability, with management highlighting the resilience of its franchise staffing model despite a soft staffing market.
• Revenue fell 12.7% to $6.5 million, largely because the company divested MRI Network permanent placement assets at the start of the year; however, adjusted net income was flat year over year at $1.8 million and adjusted EBITDA was $2.7 million.
• Management said business trends improved through the quarter and have continued into Q2, with weekly year-over-year comparisons becoming more favorable and the company now seeing more sustained demand momentum than over the prior two years.
• The company pointed to a combination of reduced labor-supply pressure, investments in its national accounts program, and broad-based strength in commercial staffing as key drivers behind the improved results, especially in industrial and manufacturing-related work.
• HireQuest also announced a new $105 million all-cash offer for the on-demand portion of TrueBlue’s PeopleReady segment, saying the business would be complementary to HireQuest Direct and could create incremental value, though no deal is guaranteed.

HireQuest Trading Up 2.9%

Shares of NASDAQ HQI traded up $0.33 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $11.72. The stock had a trading volume of 3,707 shares, compared to its average volume of 22,099. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $10.73 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $10.17. The firm has a market cap of $163.43 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.85 and a beta of 1.08. HireQuest has a 52-week low of $7.38 and a 52-week high of $12.48.

HireQuest Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. HireQuest’s dividend payout ratio is currently 53.33%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently commented on HQI. Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $13.00 target price on shares of HireQuest in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of HireQuest to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 17th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of HireQuest in a report on Friday, April 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, HireQuest has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $14.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HireQuest

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wells Fargo & Company MN raised its stake in HireQuest by 47.2% in the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 6,333 shares of the company’s stock worth $67,000 after buying an additional 2,031 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC bought a new position in HireQuest in the fourth quarter worth about $112,000. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its holdings in shares of HireQuest by 158.0% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 10,945 shares of the company’s stock valued at $115,000 after buying an additional 6,702 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. raised its stake in shares of HireQuest by 67.8% during the 2nd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 26,303 shares of the company’s stock worth $263,000 after acquiring an additional 10,627 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp boosted its stake in HireQuest by 1.9% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 76,866 shares of the company’s stock valued at $808,000 after acquiring an additional 1,451 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 12.00% of the company’s stock.

About HireQuest

HireQuest, Inc is a publicly traded holding company that provides equipment rental and workforce solutions across North America through two primary operating subsidiaries. Its Coast Equipment Rentals division offers a broad range of support equipment—such as pumps, trench safety systems, power and HVAC units, air compressors, light towers and generators—to the construction, industrial, municipal and environmental markets. Coast Equipment Rentals operates more than 135 branch locations in 36 U.S.