HireQuest, Inc. (HQI) AI Stock Analysis

HireQuest, Inc., based in Goose Creek, South Carolina, provides temporary staffing solutions throughout the United States. Operating through approximately 216 franchisee-owned offices across 36 states and the District of Columbia as of December 31, 2021, the company supplies skilled and semi-skilled labor, industrial personnel, clerical and administrative support, and construction personnel. A key operational focus is supplying commercial drivers to sectors including warehousing, construction, hospitality, logistics, waste management, and disaster recovery. Founded in 2002 under the name Command Center, Inc., the company adopted the HireQuest name in September 2019.

HireQuest experienced top-line growth from $22.5M in FY2021 to a peak of $37.9M in FY2023, before revenue fell 8.7% to $34.6M in FY2024 and down 11.4% to $30.6M in FY2025. Over the five-year period from FY2020 to FY2025, revenue grew at a CAGR of 17.3%. Net income reached $6.3M in FY2025, yielding an EPS of $0.71. Operating margins stood at 22.7% in FY2025 and improved to 41.3% over the trailing twelve months. In the latest quarter ended June 30, 2026, revenue increased 6.0% year-over-year, while quarterly earnings grew 156.8%.

As of June 30, 2026, HireQuest held $1.6M in cash and short-term investments against total assets of $93.4M and shareholders' equity of $68.9M. The company maintained a current ratio of 2.74. In FY2025, operations generated $12.0M in operating cash flow and $12.0M in free cash flow. Capital deployment that year included $56,000 for capital expenditures, $377,000 directed toward share buybacks, and $3.4M paid in dividends. Over the past five years, the total share count increased by 1.4%.

HireQuest holds a market cap of $248.5M and an enterprise value of $253.6M. The stock trades at a trailing P/E of 29.8x and a forward P/E of 20.2x, compared to medians of 24.8x and 17.2x for US-listed Industrials. Its price-to-sales ratio stands at 8.2x, above the peer group median of 1.5x, while its EV/EBITDA is 20.4x versus the peer median of 13.9x. The stock has gained 114.8% over the past year, compared to a 16.8% return for the S&P 500 (SPY). Over a five-year horizon, HQI is up 2.4% versus 83.0% for the S&P 500.

HireQuest pays a forward annual dividend of $0.24 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 1.34% and a payout ratio of 36.4%. The company distributes dividends on a quarterly schedule and has paid dividends for 7 consecutive years. Over the last five years, annualized dividend growth was 19.1%. The last ex-dividend date occurred on September 1, 2026.

Wall Street coverage includes 1 Strong Buy and 1 Buy rating, with no Hold, Sell, or Strong Sell recommendations. The mean price target is $19.00, representing a 6.2% premium over the last close of $17.89. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, analysts estimate EPS of $0.78 on revenue of $30.8M. For the next fiscal year, 2 analysts project EPS of $0.84 and revenue of $32.5M. The company beat EPS estimates in 3 of the last 4 quarters, and its next earnings date is November 5, 2026.

This page is an AI-written research summary of HireQuest, Inc. (HQI). The text was generated on October 30, 2026 from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 (company profile, annual results, latest balance sheet, valuation, price performance and analyst estimates). An automatic check rejects any draft that contains a figure not found in that data. It is not investment advice; verify figures on the linked tabs before making decisions.

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