The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how professional staffing & hr solutions stocks fared in Q2, starting with Robert Half (NYSE: RHI).

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 Q2. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.6% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.1% below.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 13.2% since the latest earnings results.

Robert Half (NYSE: RHI)

With roots dating back to 1948 as the first specialized recruiting firm for accounting and finance professionals, Robert Half (NYSE: RHI) provides specialized talent solutions and business consulting services, connecting skilled professionals with companies across various fields.

Robert Half reported revenues of $1.37 billion, down 7% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. Overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.

Robert Half delivered the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 18% since reporting and currently trades at $34.78.

Is now the time to buy Robert Half? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q2: 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 $390.6 million, up 112% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.7%. The business had a very strong quarter with a decent beat of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

First Advantage delivered the fastest revenue growth and highest full-year guidance raise 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 $15.63.

Is now the time to buy First Advantage? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q2: Insperity (NYSE: NSP)

Pioneering the professional employer organization (PEO) industry it helped establish, Insperity (NYSE: NSP) provides human resources outsourcing services to small and medium-sized businesses, handling payroll, benefits, compliance, and HR administration.

Insperity reported revenues of $1.66 billion, up 3.3% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Insperity delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 12.7% since the results and currently trades at $52.01.

Read our full analysis of Insperity’s results here.

Alight (NYSE: ALIT)

Born from a corporate spinoff in 2017 to focus on employee experience technology, Alight (NYSE: ALIT) provides human capital management solutions that help companies administer employee benefits, payroll, and workforce management systems.

Alight reported revenues of $528 million, down 1.9% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 0.6%. Taking a step back, it was a slower quarter as it logged EPS in line with analysts’ estimates and full-year revenue guidance missing analysts’ expectations.

Alight had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is down 29.4% since reporting and currently trades at $3.63.

Read our full, actionable report on Alight here, it’s free.

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 $4.52 billion, flat year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 3.6%. It was a strong quarter as it also put up a solid beat of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ organic revenue estimates.

ManpowerGroup achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The stock is down 11.6% since reporting and currently trades at $38.14.

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 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.

StockStory is growing and hiring equity analyst and marketing roles. Are you a 0 to 1 builder passionate about the markets and AI? See the open roles here.