Robert Half Inc. RHI reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of 26 cents per share, which matched the Zacks Consensus Estimate but declined 36.6% year over year. Revenues of $1.34 billion surpassed the consensus estimate by 0.8% but decreased 2.4% year over year.
However, investors remain optimistic due to strong earnings guidance for the third quarter of 2026, as the stock has gained 5% since the company released results on July 23.
Robert Half Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Robert Half Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Robert Half Inc. Quote
The company guided adjusted earnings per share between 45 cents and 53 cents, with the midpoint of 49 cents being higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 47 cents.
Over the past year, RHI's shares have risen 3.5% compared with the industry's 3.7% growth. The Zacks S&P 500 composite has gained 18.4% during the said time frame.
The earnings performance of the reported quarter reflected improving demand in Talent Solutions, partly offset by continued weakness at Protiviti and restructuring-related costs.
Talent Solutions Show Sequential Improvement
Talent Solutions revenues totaled $865.4 million, down 1% year over year. Within the segment, Contract Talent Solutions revenues declined 1.6% to $747.4 million, while Permanent Placement Talent Solutions revenues increased 2.9% to $118 million, marking a return to year-over-year growth.
Protiviti revenues fell 4.9% year over year to $471 million, reflecting ongoing softness in the U.S. financial services regulatory environment. Management noted that Talent Solutions delivered its third consecutive quarter of sequential revenue growth on an adjusted basis, while hiring demand continued to improve.
RHI’s Margins
Contract Talent Solutions' gross margin remained 39.1%, unchanged from the prior-year quarter. Overall, Talent Solutions’ gross margin improved to 47.4% from 47.1% a year ago.
Protiviti's reported gross margin declined to 13.5% from 19.7%. On an adjusted basis, gross margin was 18.5%, down from 22.3%, reflecting approximately $7 million in severance costs related to restructuring actions.
Profitability Pressured by Higher Expenses
The company reported an operating loss of $62.3 million, against an operating income of $1.5 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted operating income was $38.6 million, representing 2.9% of revenues.
The quarter included a $100.9 million gain from investments held in employee deferred compensation trusts, fully offset by related compensation expenses, resulting in no impact on net income. The effective tax rate increased to 35% from 33% a year ago.
Balance Sheet & Cash Flow
Robert Half ended the quarter with $324.7 million in cash and cash equivalents, compared with $380.5 million a year earlier. Accounts receivable stood at $821.4 million. Cash flow from operations totaled $109 million in the quarter. The company paid a quarterly dividend of 59 cents per share, returning $59 million to its shareholders.
RHI’s Other Guidance
For the third quarter of 2026, Robert Half expects revenues to be between $1.31 billion and $1.41 billion, with the midpoint of $1.36 billion in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
At the midpoint, management expects Talent Solutions revenue growth of about 3% year over year, while Protiviti revenues are projected to decline about 6%. Management noted improving hiring activity, with Contract Talent Solutions revenues down 1% in the first two weeks of July 2026 and Permanent Placement revenues up 4% during the first three weeks of the month.
Currently, Robert Half carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Recent Earnings Snapshots
Waste Connections, Inc. WCN reported impressive second-quarter 2026 results. WCN’s adjusted earnings of $1.50 per share outpaced the consensus mark by 11.1% and rose 16.3% from the year-ago quarter. Waste Connections’ total revenues of $2.56 billion surpassed the consensus mark by 1.1% and increased 6.4% year over year.
Rollins, Inc. ROL posted unimpressive second-quarter 2026 results. ROL’s adjusted earnings of 32 cents per share missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.9% but rose 6.7% year over year. Total revenues of $1.08 billion fell short of the consensus estimate by 1.7% but increased 7.9% from the year-ago quarter.
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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).