HireQuest, Inc.

HQI

NASDAQ · Staffing & HR Services

$17.59

At close - Nov 6, 4:00 PM EST - USD

Market Cap$245M

P/E29.8x

52W High$20.84

Volume12.66K

VCP Research Verdict2026Q2

Royalty Model Rebounds, But Volatility Demands Scrutiny

HireQuest's franchise royalty model appears to have found a cyclical bottom after eight consecutive quarters of revenue contraction, with 2026Q2 revenue rising 6.0% to $8.1M alongside a period-high 41.3% operating margin driven by SG&A compression from $5.6M to $4.0M since 2024Q1.

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MARKET ACTION

HQI price & volume

Price trend, volume and key moving averages

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Market performance

Price History →

Trailing total returns as of 11/8/2026, which may include dividends or other distributions. Benchmark is S&P 500 (^GSPC).

YTD Return

HQI+66.07%

S&P 500 (^GSPC)+7.63%

1-Year Return

HQI+113.02%

S&P 500 (^GSPC)+9.69%

3-Year Return

HQI+16.40%

S&P 500 (^GSPC)+71.90%

5-Year Return

HQI-4.67%

S&P 500 (^GSPC)+59.72%

Test the fundamentals

Check whether operating performance supports the current valuation.

VALUATION & INTRINSIC VALUE

Valuation Scenarios

Valuation Analysis

Trailing P/EMedian

29.8x

Forward P/EExpansion

22.7x

EV/EBITDA60th %ile

19.9x

FCF YieldCash Flow

3.9%

Valuation vs 5-Year History

Multiple Range

Metric

Current

5Y Median

Historical Range

Percentile

P/E

29.8x

23.4x

60th· Fair

EV/EBITDA

19.9x

16.8x

60th· Fair

Price/FCF

25.9x

16.5x

100th· High

Current Multiple

5Y Median (50th %ile)

Intrinsic Value Scenarios

DCF Projection

No DCF Model AvailableIntrinsic value modeling is not supported for this equity.

Growth & profitability

Annual revenue & EPS trend

Revenue FY25

$31M-11.4% YoY

Net income FY25

$6M+72.4% YoY

Free cash flow FY25

$12M+0.2% YoY

Operating margin FY25

22.7%+10.1 pts YoY

ROIC (FY25)7.8%

Avg ROIC 5Y11.8%

ROE (TTM)12%

Piotroski Score5 / 9

Financial Statements →

Monitor what changed

Recent results and news deserve attention only when they alter the forward view.

OPERATING RESULTS

Recent Earnings

Earnings History

EPS Beat Rate10/12 (83%)

Revenue Beat Rate6/12 (50%)

Quarter	EPS (Act vs Est)	Revenue (Act vs Est)
Q3 2026Latest Aug 10, 2026	$0.23+76.9% vs $0.13	$8M+14.1% vs $7M
Q2 2026 May 12, 2026	$0.13+18.2% vs $0.11	$7M-3.3% vs $7M
Q2 2026 Mar 30, 2026	$0.19+58.3% vs $0.12	$7M-5.0% vs $7M
Q4 2025 Nov 6, 2025	$0.24+71.4% vs $0.14	$8M+14.6% vs $7M

Historical baseline: 12 quarters analyzedGAAP / Adjusted

MARKET COVERAGE

Latest News

4 Stories

Defense World·1d ago

Head-To-Head Review: Forrester Research (NASDAQ:FORR) vs. HireQuest (NASDAQ:HQI)

HireQuest (NASDAQ: HQI - Get Free Report) and Forrester Research (NASDAQ: FORR - Get Free Report) are both small-cap industrials companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, profitability, valuation and risk. Insider and Institutional Ownership 12.0% of HireQuest shares

Zacks Investment Research·2d ago

Strength Seen in HireQuest (HQI): Can Its 6.1% Jump Turn into More Strength?

HireQuest (HQI) was a big mover last session on higher-than-average trading volume. The latest trend in earnings estimate revisions might not help the stock continue moving higher in the near term.

PRNewsWire·Oct 29, 2026

HireQuest to Hold Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results Conference Call on Thursday, November 12, 2026

GOOSE CREEK, S.C., Oct. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- HireQuest (Nasdaq: HQI), a national franchisor of on-demand staffing and direct-hire recruiting services, today announced that it will hold a conference call on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.

Zacks Investment Research·Oct 7, 2026

3 Top Breakout Stocks to Buy in October With Big Upside

Corsair Gaming, Nordic American Tankers and HireQuest emerge as potential October breakouts, backed by strong gains and proximity to 52-week highs.

Filtered for HireQuest, Inc.More Headlines

Compare before deciding

Benchmark HQI against direct peers instead of judging its metrics in isolation.

Peers Comparison

Key metrics vs top competitors for HireQuest, Inc. (HQI)

Full Screener →

Company	Price	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	Rev Growth (1Y)	Net Margin	ROE	Div Yield
HQIHireQuest, Inc.Current	$17.59	$245.21M	29.77	-11.44%	27.06%	11.98%	1.37%
KELYAKelly Services, Inc.	$13.82	$479.13M	-3.84	-1.87%	-4%	-12.8%	2.27%
KFRCKforce Inc.	$54.15	$965.6M	22.84	-5.43%	2.98%	32.57%	2.86%
TBITrueBlue, Inc.	$12.15	$369.41M	-8.72	3.1%	-2.55%	-17.28%	—
MANManpowerGroup Inc.	$44.50	$2.07B	17.79	0.58%	0.64%	5.75%	3.22%
ADPAutomatic Data Processing, Inc.	$303.35	$121.26B	26.65	6.74%	20.33%	75.85%	2.17%

Compare HQI vs Peers

HireQuest, Inc. (HQI) vs competitors — business, growth, and fundamentals comparison against the closest industry rivals.

Closest Rival

vs KELYA

Most directly comparable listed peer for HQI.

Scale Benchmark

vs ADP

Larger-name benchmark to compare HQI against a more recognizable public peer.

Peer Set

Compare Top 5

vs KELYA, KFRC, TBI, MAN

Keep researching

Verify the primary filings, follow material updates, and answer the remaining questions.

HQI SEC Filings & Documents

HireQuest, Inc. (HQI) SEC filings — annual & quarterly reports (10-K, 10-Q)

8-K Announcements

Material company update

Aug 13, 2026·SEC

Material company update

Aug 10, 2026·SEC

Material company update

Jun 22, 2026·SEC

10-K Annual Reports

FY 2026

Mar 31, 2026·SEC

FY 2025

Mar 27, 2025·SEC

FY 2024

Mar 21, 2024·SEC

10-Q Quarterly Reports

FY 2026

Aug 11, 2026·SEC

FY 2026

May 12, 2026·SEC

FY 2025

Nov 6, 2025·SEC

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HQI Frequently Asked Questions

HireQuest, Inc. (HQI) stock FAQ — growth, dividends, profitability & financials explained

Growth & Financials

What is HireQuest, Inc.'s revenue?

HireQuest, Inc. (HQI) reported $30.2M in revenue over the trailing twelve months. Revenue was $30.6M in fiscal year 2025. That is 36567% more than the $0.1M of fiscal year 2001.

How fast is HireQuest, Inc. growing?

HireQuest, Inc. (HQI) revenue fell by 7.5% over the trailing twelve months, compared with the twelve months before.

Is HQI profitable?

Yes. HireQuest, Inc. (HQI) earned $8.2M in net income over the trailing twelve months (a 27.1% net margin).

Dividend & Returns

Does HQI pay dividends?

Yes. HireQuest, Inc. (HQI) pays a dividend that yields 1.37% at the current price, a moderate yield.

What is HQI's return on equity?

HireQuest, Inc. (HQI) had a return on equity (ROE) of 12.0% over the trailing twelve months. That is in line with the market's typical 10-15%.

What is HireQuest, Inc.'s free cash flow?

HireQuest, Inc. (HQI) generated $9.5M in free cash flow over the trailing twelve months.

What if you invested $1,000 in HQI back in 2001?

Total return calculator · dividends reinvested · 25+ years of data

See returns →

Quarter

EPS (Act vs Est)

Revenue (Act vs Est)

Q3 2026Latest

Aug 10, 2026

$0.23+76.9%

vs $0.13

$8M+14.1%

vs $7M

Q2 2026

May 12, 2026

$0.13+18.2%

vs $0.11

$7M-3.3%

vs $7M

Q2 2026

Mar 30, 2026

$0.19+58.3%

vs $0.12

$7M-5.0%

vs $7M

Q4 2025

Nov 6, 2025

$0.24+71.4%

vs $0.14

$8M+14.6%

vs $7M

Company

Price

Market Cap

P/E Ratio

Rev Growth (1Y)

Net Margin

ROE

Div Yield

HQIHireQuest, Inc.Current

$17.59

$245.21M

29.77

-11.44%

27.06%

11.98%

1.37%

KELYAKelly Services, Inc.

$13.82

$479.13M

-3.84

-1.87%

-4%

-12.8%

2.27%

KFRCKforce Inc.

$54.15

$965.6M

22.84

-5.43%

2.98%

32.57%

2.86%

TBITrueBlue, Inc.

$12.15

$369.41M

-8.72

3.1%

-2.55%

-17.28%

—

MANManpowerGroup Inc.

$44.50

$2.07B

17.79

0.58%

0.64%

5.75%

3.22%

ADPAutomatic Data Processing, Inc.

$303.35

$121.26B

26.65

6.74%

20.33%

75.85%

2.17%