HireQuest, Inc. (HQI) Key Metrics
HQI valuation today
Trailing 12 months · as of October 18, 2026- Market cap
- $248.5M
- Enterprise value
- $253.6M
- P/E (TTM)
- 29.8 10-yr median 23.3
- Forward P/E
- 20.2
- PEG ratio
- —
- Price / sales
- 8.2 10-yr median 5.4
- Price / book
- 3.7 10-yr median 2.8
- EV / EBITDA
- 20.4 10-yr median 14.3
- Dividend yield
- 1.34% $0.24 a year
- Beta
- 1.17
HQI key metrics, 2016–2025
Fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 · U.S. dollarsHQI valuation Price multiples at each fiscal year-end price.
HQI returns How much profit the business earns on the capital it uses.
HQI per-share figures Results divided by the shares outstanding at year-end.
HQI financial health Debt, liquidity and how easily interest is covered.
HQI efficiency & capital use Working capital cycle and where the cash goes.
HQI valuation history
HQI returns on capital
Net income (ROE, ROA) or after-tax operating income (ROIC) divided by the average of the opening and closing balance.
HQI debt vs cash
Debt includes short- and long-term borrowings and, where reported, lease liabilities.
HQI cash returned to shareholders
HQI price vs earnings per share
HQI key metrics
2016–2025| 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valuation | ||||||||||
| Market capitalization | $147.4M | $197.1M | $211.8M | $216.9M | $274.3M | $139.5M | $82.2M | $19.4M | $30.1M | $22.7M |
| Enterprise value | $143.5M | $201.8M | $225.3M | $230.4M | $276.3M | $125.9M | $78.0M | $18.5M | $23.2M | $20.1M |
| P/E ratio | 23.3 | 53.7 | 34.5 | 17.4 | 23.1 | 26.0 | — | 2.7 | 17.9 | 40.8 |
| Price / sales | 4.8 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 7.0 | 12.2 | 10.1 | 5.2 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Price / book | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.7 | 5.9 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.2 |
| Price / free cash flow | 12.3 | 16.5 | 20.1 | 14.1 | 17.8 | 15.3 | 18.5 | 7.9 | 6.5 | — |
| Price / operating cash flow | 12.2 | 16.4 | 19.9 | 12.9 | 15.8 | 12.8 | 16.6 | 7.4 | 6.3 | — |
| EV / sales | 4.7 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 7.4 | 12.3 | 9.1 | 4.9 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| EV / EBITDA | 14.3 | 25.7 | 18.8 | 14.2 | 30.0 | 18.8 | 9.4 | 2.6 | 5.7 | 14.3 |
| EV / free cash flow | 12.0 | 16.9 | 21.4 | 15.0 | 17.9 | 13.8 | 17.5 | 7.5 | 5.0 | — |
| Earnings yield | 4.3% | 1.9% | 2.9% | 5.7% | 4.3% | 3.8% | −0.4% | 36.6% | 5.6% | 2.5% |
| Free cash flow yield | 8.1% | 6.1% | 5.0% | 7.1% | 5.6% | 6.5% | 5.4% | 12.7% | 15.4% | −0.4% |
| Dividend yield | 2.3% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 1.0% | 0.9% | 36.1% | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Shareholder yield (dividends + buybacks) | 2.5% | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 11.1% | 45.5% | 5.1% | 11.9% |
| Share price at fiscal year-end | $10.51 | $14.16 | $15.35 | $15.81 | $20.16 | $10.22 | $7.09 | $4.00 | $5.90 | $4.32 |
| Per share | ||||||||||
| Revenue per share | $2.19 | $2.49 | $2.74 | $2.26 | $1.66 | $1.01 | $1.37 | $2.54 | $19.21 | $17.74 |
| Earnings per share | $0.45 | $0.26 | $0.44 | $0.91 | $0.87 | $0.39 | −$0.03 | $1.47 | $0.33 | $0.11 |
| Operating cash flow per share | $0.86 | $0.86 | $0.77 | $1.23 | $1.28 | $0.80 | $0.43 | $0.54 | $0.93 | $0.00 |
| Free cash flow per share | $0.86 | $0.86 | $0.76 | $1.12 | $1.13 | $0.67 | $0.38 | $0.51 | $0.91 | −$0.02 |
| Cash per share | $0.28 | $0.16 | $0.10 | $0.22 | $0.09 | $1.00 | $0.36 | $0.27 | $1.52 | $0.57 |
| Book value per share | $4.87 | $4.66 | $4.55 | $4.25 | $3.43 | $2.66 | $2.70 | $3.89 | $3.84 | $3.59 |
| Tangible book value per share | $4.26 | $2.51 | $1.83 | $1.35 | $1.59 | $2.64 | $2.70 | $3.08 | $3.04 | $2.77 |
| Dividends per share | $0.24 | $0.24 | $0.24 | $0.24 | $0.23 | $0.10 | $0.06 | $1.45 | $0.23 | $0.22 |
| Capex per share | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.11 | $0.15 | $0.13 | $0.04 | $0.03 | $0.02 | $0.02 |
| Debt per share | — | $0.50 | $1.07 | $1.21 | $0.24 | — | — | $0.08 | $0.17 | $0.07 |
| Shares outstanding | 14.0M | 13.9M | 13.8M | 13.7M | 13.6M | 13.7M | 11.6M | 4.9M | 5.1M | 5.3M |
| Change in shares outstanding | +0.7% | +0.9% | +0.6% | +0.8% | −0.4% | +17.8% | +138.7% | −4.9% | −2.9% | −1.9% |
| Returns & profitability | ||||||||||
| Return on equity (ROE) | 9.5% | 5.8% | 10.1% | 23.7% | 28.5% | 15.8% | −1.2% | 37.0% | 8.7% | 2.9% |
| Return on invested capital (ROIC) | 10.2% | 5.7% | 11.9% | 23.0% | 20.3% | 17.6% | 6.2% | 44.9% | 12.8% | 4.0% |
| Return on assets (ROA) | 6.9% | 3.7% | 5.9% | 13.8% | 18.7% | 11.2% | −0.8% | 28.6% | 6.8% | 2.2% |
| Return on tangible assets | 8.0% | 5.7% | 9.2% | 19.6% | 22.7% | 11.0% | −0.6% | 34.8% | 7.9% | 2.8% |
| Free cash flow margin | 39.1% | 34.6% | 27.8% | 49.8% | 68.4% | 66.0% | 28.0% | 20.0% | 4.7% | −0.1% |
| Income quality (OCF / net income) | 1.90 | 3.28 | 1.73 | 1.35 | 1.47 | 2.03 | — | 0.37 | 2.83 | 0.02 |
| Financial health | ||||||||||
| Total debt | — | $6.9M | $14.8M | $16.5M | $3.2M | — | — | $398,894 | $853,562 | $388,280 |
| Cash & short-term investments | $3.9M | $2.2M | $1.3M | $3.0M | $1.3M | $13.7M | $4.2M | $1.3M | $7.8M | $3.0M |
| Net debt | −$3.9M | $4.7M | $13.4M | $13.5M | $2.0M | −$13.7M | −$4.2M | −$892,423 | −$6.9M | −$2.6M |
| Debt / equity | — | 0.11 | 0.24 | 0.28 | 0.07 | — | — | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.02 |
| Debt / assets | — | 0.07 | 0.14 | 0.16 | 0.04 | — | — | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.02 |
| Net debt / EBITDA | −0.39 | 0.60 | 1.12 | 0.83 | 0.22 | −2.04 | −0.51 | −0.13 | −1.69 | −1.88 |
| Current ratio | 3.15 | 2.04 | 1.44 | 1.41 | 1.96 | 4.12 | 3.36 | 1.75 | 3.75 | 3.52 |
| Quick ratio | 3.15 | 2.04 | 1.44 | 1.39 | 1.94 | 3.97 | 3.27 | 1.73 | 3.69 | 3.24 |
| Interest coverage | 22.7 | 4.7 | 7.7 | 43.6 | 48.7 | 100.3 | 5.0 | — | 318.1 | 44.1 |
| Working capital | $33.0M | $25.1M | $15.7M | $15.2M | $20.5M | $29.5M | $26.0M | $9.6M | $13.3M | $10.6M |
| Invested capital | $64.4M | $69.5M | $76.2M | $71.7M | $48.7M | $22.7M | $27.1M | $18.0M | $12.7M | $16.2M |
| Tangible asset value | $59.7M | $35.0M | $25.3M | $18.6M | $21.7M | $36.0M | $31.3M | $7.0M | $15.5M | $13.8M |
| Net current asset value | $28.4M | $20.0M | $10.4M | $6.9M | $11.4M | $26.2M | $21.4M | $8.8M | $12.4M | $9.0M |
| Graham number | $7.04 | $5.26 | $6.74 | $9.31 | $8.20 | $4.85 | — | $11.33 | $5.33 | $2.92 |
| Graham net-net per share | $1.02 | $0.41 | −$0.37 | −$0.48 | $0.05 | $1.41 | $1.10 | $0.76 | $1.80 | $1.05 |
| Capital allocation | ||||||||||
| Dividends paid | $3.4M | $3.4M | $3.3M | $3.3M | $3.1M | $1.4M | $712,354 | $7.0M | $1.2M | $1.2M |
| Share buybacks (net) | $377,000 | $0 | — | — | $0 | $146,465 | $8.4M | $1.8M | $375,218 | $1.5M |
| Dividend payout ratio | 53.3% | 91.5% | 54.4% | 26.6% | 26.5% | 25.3% | — | 98.6% | 69.9% | 210.8% |
| Dividends + buybacks / free cash flow | 31.3% | 28.1% | 31.7% | 21.5% | 20.4% | 16.5% | 204.1% | 358.9% | 33.3% | — |
| Capex / revenue | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 4.8% | 8.8% | 12.8% | 3.2% | 1.3% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| Capex / operating cash flow | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 8.8% | 11.4% | 16.2% | 10.2% | 6.0% | 2.2% | 763.7% |
| Capex / depreciation | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.72 | 1.26 | 13.66 | 1.27 | 1.71 | 0.27 | 0.34 |
| Stock-based compensation / revenue | 3.1% | 5.1% | 4.4% | 7.7% | 7.2% | 8.9% | 4.8% | 2.7% | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| SG&A / revenue | 67.5% | 61.9% | 64.5% | 41.6% | 59.2% | 51.4% | 47.8% | 190.1% | 21.8% | 23.3% |
| Efficiency | ||||||||||
| Days sales outstanding | 499.5 | 473.1 | 446.7 | 508.6 | 512.3 | 728.8 | 604.1 | 448.9 | 36.6 | 37.6 |
| Days of inventory on hand | — | — | — | 114.9 | 1,930.2 | — | — | 1.4 | 3.7 | 8.4 |
| Days payables outstanding | 22.2 | 20.4 | 38.2 | 140.8 | 1,694.5 | — | — | 1.6 | 3.3 | 4.7 |
| Cash conversion cycle (days) | 477.3 | 452.8 | 408.5 | 482.7 | 748.1 | — | — | 448.8 | 36.9 | 41.3 |
| Receivables turnover | 0.73 | 0.77 | 0.82 | 0.72 | 0.71 | 0.50 | 0.60 | 0.81 | 9.97 | 9.71 |
| Payables turnover | 16.44 | 17.94 | 9.55 | 2.59 | 0.22 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 234.91 | 109.59 | 77.19 |
| Inventory turnover | — | — | — | 3.18 | 0.19 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 257.97 | 99.87 | 43.39 |
| Asset turnover | 0.34 | 0.35 | 0.37 | 0.34 | 0.36 | 0.29 | 0.45 | 0.50 | 3.98 | 3.72 |
| Average receivables | $41.9M | $44.8M | $46.4M | $43.1M | $31.6M | $27.6M | $26.3M | $15.2M | $9.8M | $9.6M |
| Average payables | $183,000 | $155,500 | $292,500 | $787,000 | $791,745 | $355,668 | $153,640 | $308,418 | $662,840 | $901,427 |
| Average inventory | — | — | — | $642,108 | $901,899 | $1.2M | $646,559 | $280,847 | $727,387 | $1.6M |
| Intangibles / total assets | 9.8% | 31.7% | 36.1% | 38.4% | 32.4% | 0.7% | 0.0% | 16.1% | 16.1% | 18.0% |
Computed from HQI's annual financial statements (latest annual report filed March 31, 2026) and the closing share price on each fiscal year-end, adjusted for stock splits. Figures in U.S. dollars; data from EODHD. Averages use the opening and closing balance of each year.
HQI valuation and financial ratios
At the end of fiscal 2025 (December 31, 2025), HireQuest traded at 23.3 times earnings, against a 10-year median of 23.3. Based on the latest twelve months, the trailing P/E is 29.8 and the forward P/E is 20.2. HireQuest earned a return on equity of 9.5% and a return on invested capital of 10.2% in fiscal 2025. It returned $3.7 million to shareholders: $3.4 million in dividends and $0.4 million in share buybacks, 31% of free cash flow. The share count rose 166.7% from 5.3M to 14.0M over 9 years.
See the HQI income statement, the HQI chart for price history, or the HQI stock overview for the latest quote and news.
HQI key metrics FAQ
What is HireQuest's P/E ratio?
HireQuest's trailing P/E ratio is 29.8 based on the last twelve months of earnings (as of October 18, 2026), and its forward P/E is 20.2. At the end of fiscal 2025 it was 23.3, compared with a 10-year median of 23.3.
What is HireQuest's EV/EBITDA?
HireQuest's enterprise value was 14.3 times EBITDA at the end of fiscal 2025 (enterprise value $143.5 million, EBITDA $10.0 million); the current EV/EBITDA is 20.4.
What is HireQuest's return on equity?
HireQuest's return on equity (ROE) was 9.5% in fiscal 2025: net income of $6.3 million on average shareholders' equity of $66.6 million.
What is HireQuest's ROIC?
HireQuest's return on invested capital was 10.2% in fiscal 2025, using after-tax operating income divided by average debt plus equity minus cash.
What is HireQuest's dividend yield?
HireQuest's forward dividend yield is 1.34%. HireQuest paid $3.4 million in dividends in fiscal 2025 ($0.24 per share), a payout ratio of 53.3%.
Does HireQuest buy back its shares?
Yes. HireQuest spent $0.4 million on net share repurchases in fiscal 2025 Shares outstanding changed +0.7% over the year, to 14.0M..
What is HireQuest's free cash flow yield?
HireQuest generated $12.0 million of free cash flow in fiscal 2025, a free cash flow yield of 8.1% on its market value at year-end ($147.4 million).
What is HireQuest's current ratio?
HireQuest's current ratio was 3.15 at the end of fiscal 2025: current assets were 3.15 times current liabilities.