# HireQuest share price today (HireQuest, Inc., HQI)

> HireQuest, Inc.'s share price, valuation and earnings point in different directions. The next one or two quarters should make it clearer. HQI · Industrials · Staffing & Employment Services · data as of 3 November 2026. Page: https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/hqi

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## Key numbers

- Business trend: Getting better, from the last 12 quarters
- Price: $16.71 (+95.9% in a year)
- P/E: 28.8× (higher than 70% of the last 1 year)
- Revenue (Jun 2026): $8.1 M (+6.0% on a year ago)
- Profit (Jun 2026): $2.7 M (+154.0% on a year ago)
- Operating margin: 41.3% (+27.6 points on a year ago)
- ROE: 9%, FY25
- ROIC: 12.6%, against a 10.7% cost of capital: +1.9 points

Biggest thing to watch: the P/E is higher than 70% of its own history, so the multiple has already done part of the work. ## What is the HireQuest share price today? HireQuest, Inc.'s share price was $16.71 at the close on 3 November 2026. That is 24.7% above its average price over the last 200 trading days. In the last 52 weeks it traded between $8 and $20, and at that close it sat 73% of the way up from that low. Over the past 13 weeks it has done better than the S&P 500, and it has stayed ahead for 24 weeks in a row. Over the last 1 year the share price moved +67% while the S&P 500 moved +21%, so it is ahead of the index over that whole period. The chart above shows the 13-week comparison for every week. This page treats a rise as over when the price closes below its 200-day average on two Fridays in a row. ## What dividend does HireQuest pay? HireQuest, Inc. paid $0.24 per share over the last four reported quarters. The most recent declaration was $0.06 for Jun 2026. At today's price of $16.71 that is a yield of 1.44%, based on dividends already paid, not a forecast. ## Which stock lists is HireQuest on? HireQuest is not in the Nasdaq 100, the S&P 500 or the Dow Jones 30, and is not on the US tech stocks list. ## Is HireQuest profitable? HireQuest, Inc. earned $2.7 M of net profit in the Jun 2026 quarter, +154.0% on the same quarter a year earlier. That is the 2nd quarter in a row of profit growth. Full-year FY25 profit was $6.3 M. Over 4 years profit has grown −14.5% a year on average. That is 33.2% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier earned $1.1 M. 1 of the last 12 reported quarters were loss-making. For the full year, FY25 profit was $6.3 M (+72.4% on the year before). Why profit moved: revenue changed +6.0% on a year earlier and the margin moved +27.6 percentage points. Most of the change came from keeping more of each sale. On average over the last four quarters, profit changed +46.9% and revenue −7.4%. Profit is growing faster than sales: fixed costs are spread over more sales, so each extra dollar of revenue adds more to profit. ## How much revenue does HireQuest make, and is it growing? HireQuest, Inc. reported $8.1 M of revenue in the Jun 2026 quarter, +6.0% on the same quarter a year earlier. Over 4 years it has grown 8.0% a year on average. The last full year, FY25, came in at $30.6 M. The last four reported quarters add to $30.2 M. FY25 revenue was $30.6 M, −11.4% on the year before. Recent pace: the last four quarters grew −7.4% on average, against 8.0% a year over the longer run, so this year is growing slower than its own long-run rate. Is growth speeding up? Revenue over the last 12 months grew −7.5%, against −8.7% a year over the last 8 quarters (stabilising); profit over the last 12 months grew +234.8%, against +25.8% a year (accelerating). ## How much of every $100 of sales does HireQuest keep? HireQuest, Inc.'s operating margin was 41.3% in the Jun 2026 quarter, 27.6 percentage points higher than the same quarter a year ago. Across 5 years it has been between 22.7% and 51.8%. The latest quarter is within that range. Why the margin moved: operating margin changed +27.6 percentage points on the year while gross margin changed +0.0 points. So the gain came mostly from costs below the gross margin, such as staff and overheads, measured against sales. ## Is HireQuest's profit turning into cash? Over the last 3 years, 215% of HireQuest, Inc.'s reported profit came in as cash from its operations, so the profit is backed by cash. In FY25 it brought in $12.0 M of operating cash against $6.3 M of profit. After $56.0 K of spending on assets, $12.0 M was left over as free cash. Cash-flow figures here are yearly, because quarterly cash statements are not published, so this section changes once a year. Why: the cash figure is clear, but the day counts behind it are not in our data, so we show it without guessing the reason. What to look at next: the main use of cash is spending on assets. The next section checks what that spending is building. ## Where does HireQuest's cash go? HireQuest, Inc. does not report the customer, stock and supplier day counts a cash cycle needs, so this section looks at its spending on assets instead. It spent $222 K on assets over the last 3 years. Averaged over those years that is 0.2% of FY25 revenue a year. Nothing is estimated in place of the missing day counts, so no cash-cycle chart is drawn. Spending on assets: $222 K over the last 3 years. In short: the cash is going into new capacity, not getting stuck in the daily cycle. The question is whether the new capacity earns. ## What is HireQuest's P/E ratio, and how does it compare with its own history? HireQuest, Inc.'s P/E is 28.8×, near the high end of its own history: higher than 70% of past readings. Its usual P/E (the middle reading) is 25.6×, over 1 year of weekly prices. This compares the share price with the company’s own past. It does not say what the business is worth. Why the multiple is where it is: over the past year earnings per share moved +71.9% while the price moved +95.9%. The price did better than earnings, which pushed the multiple up within its own range. In short: the multiple is high against its own past, so the earnings trend underneath matters more than the multiple. ## Is the HireQuest business getting better or worse? HireQuest, Inc.'s business is getting better. Profit growth hit its low 8 quarters ago at −64.6% and has recovered to +234.8%, with ROCE steady at 12.8%. This is based on 12 quarters of 4 measures. Why it matters: a lasting rise from a low is what this page is built to show. ## How much does HireQuest earn on its capital? HireQuest, Inc. earned a ROE of 9% in FY25. That is up from a low of 6% in FY24. Its return on capital used (ROIC) is 1.9 percentage points above its cost of capital, so growth here adds value, not just size. It comes from a 20.7% net margin and 0.35× asset turnover (sales divided by assets). Why the return is what it is (FY25): a 20.7% net margin × 0.35× asset turnover × 1.29× leverage (assets divided by equity) ≈ 9.3% on equity. The margin does most of the work; borrowing plays a small part, so this return is earned, not borrowed. The key test, return on capital used minus the cost of capital: 12.6% − 10.7% = +1.9 percentage points. The 10.7% is an estimate of this company's own cost of capital. Read the sign and size of the gap, not the decimals. Positive but thin: it creates value with little room for error. The 12.6% ROIC above is the latest reading, as reported. The yearly chart below shows FY25 at 10.2%, and the quarterly chart works out each 12-month window from the quarterly figures, so the readings differ by date, not by method. ## Does HireQuest have too much debt? HireQuest, Inc. has total debt of $2.2 M against shareholder equity of $67.8 M as of Sep 2025, so its debt is 0.03× its equity, which is very little. Year by year, that ratio went from 0.07 in FY21 to 0.11 in FY24. So the returns on this page come from the business, not from borrowed money. ## What is the HireQuest shareholding pattern? 4.3% of HireQuest, Inc.'s tradable shares are in short positions, which are bets that the price will fall, so some traders are betting against it. At normal trading volumes, closing those positions would take about 6.9 days. US companies do not publish a quarter-by-quarter list of owners, so this page uses short interest instead. It is a single reading at one point in time; we do not have its history. Why it is at this level: the figure does not say who holds the short positions or why, so we show the level without guessing the story. ## How far is HireQuest from balance-sheet trouble? For HireQuest, Inc., the Z-score is 5.13. A Z-score above about 3 is safe and below about 1.8 signals danger, so this is well clear of danger. It estimates how far the balance sheet is from trouble; it is not a forecast of failure. Why it matters: a Z-score of 5.13 is well clear of the danger zone, so the balance sheet is not the risk here. ## How does HireQuest rank in its industry? 62.0 out of 100, rank 2 of 11 in Staffing & Employment Services, with 71% of the evidence available. HireQuest, Inc. scores 62.0 out of 100 against the 11 companies it is compared with in Staffing & Employment Services, ranking 2. The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. The four parts add up to the total exactly: 23.1 + 14.7 + 9.8 + 14.4 = 62. This is the same number shown on the industry page; it is worked out once for the whole group and read here. What would change it: The score would fall if profit growth turns negative or margins stop improving while the share price lags its sector. ## Which companies is HireQuest compared with? HireQuest ranks 2 of 11 Staffing & Employment Services companies on the 4-Factor Sector Score, with 62.0 out of 100. 1. [TriNet Group, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/tnet) TNET · losing its lead · Evidence leans up · 81% evidence 62.1 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 21.1/35 · Revenue -3.3% · Profit 21.5% · Operating margin change 2.3 points · 83% evidence Capital efficiency 18.0/25 · ROCE 21.5% · Operating margin 6.4% · 76% evidence Valuation 15.5/20 · P/E 13× · PEG 0.43 · 65% evidence Relative strength 7.5/20 · Lead over its industry -13.8% · Lead over S&P 500 12.5% · 1 year 14.9% · 100% evidence · 10 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 21.1 + 18 + 15.5 + 7.5 = 62.1 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 2. HireQuest, Inc. this page HQI · leader · Evidence leans up · 71% evidence 62.0 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 23.1/35 · Revenue -6.3% · Profit 100% · Operating margin change 27.6 points · 83% evidence Capital efficiency 14.7/25 · ROCE 12.6% · Operating margin 41.3% · 76% evidence Valuation 9.8/20 · P/E 21.5× · PEG n/a · 15% evidence Relative strength 14.4/20 · Lead over its industry -2.1% · Lead over S&P 500 27% · 1 year 72.8% · 100% evidence · 12 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 23.1 + 14.7 + 9.8 + 14.4 = 62 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 3. [TrueBlue, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/tbi) TBI · losing its lead · Evidence leans up · 64% evidence 51.2 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 22.6/35 · Revenue 10.2% · Profit n/a · Operating margin change 2.6 points · 62% evidence Capital efficiency 3.3/25 · ROCE -5.4% · Operating margin 0.6% · 76% evidence Valuation 10.8/20 · P/E 10.1× · PEG n/a · 15% evidence Relative strength 14.5/20 · Lead over its industry 13.5% · Lead over S&P 500 43.7% · 1 year 95.3% · 100% evidence · 10 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 22.6 + 3.3 + 10.8 + 14.5 = 51.2 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 4. [Kforce Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/kfrc) KFRC · turning · Evidence leans up · 81% evidence 50.4 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 13.3/35 · Revenue -1.3% · Profit -16.3% · Operating margin change 0.9 points · 83% evidence Capital efficiency 17.1/25 · ROCE 18.7% · Operating margin 5.4% · 76% evidence Valuation 6.6/20 · P/E 21.5× · PEG 2.3 · 65% evidence Relative strength 13.4/20 · Lead over its industry 3.5% · Lead over S&P 500 32.6% · 1 year 91.7% · 100% evidence · 4 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 13.3 + 17.1 + 6.6 + 13.4 = 50.4 · What this means: Relative strength against the index is 32.6%, and revenue and profit growth are weak. 5. [Korn Ferry](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/kfy) KFY · quiet · Evidence leans down · 85% evidence 49.7 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 18.7/35 · Revenue 6.9% · Profit 11.3% · Operating margin change 0.3 points · 95% evidence Capital efficiency 13.8/25 · ROCE 12.3% · Operating margin 11.8% · 76% evidence Valuation 12.7/20 · P/E 15.2× · PEG 1.19 · 65% evidence Relative strength 4.5/20 · Lead over its industry -22.1% · Lead over S&P 500 3% · 1 year 18% · 100% evidence · 4 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 18.7 + 13.8 + 12.7 + 4.5 = 49.7 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 6. [Robert Half Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/rhi) RHI · turning · Evidence leans down · 75% evidence 46.4 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 12.4/35 · Revenue -3% · Profit -21.3% · Operating margin change 4.5 points · 95% evidence Capital efficiency 9.8/25 · ROCE 0.8% · Operating margin 5.5% · 76% evidence Valuation 8.5/20 · P/E 30.4× · PEG n/a · 15% evidence Relative strength 15.7/20 · Lead over its industry 1.8% · Lead over S&P 500 32% · 1 year 65.8% · 100% evidence · 8 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 12.4 + 9.8 + 8.5 + 15.7 = 46.4 · What this means: Relative strength against the index is 32%, and revenue and profit growth are weak. 7. [ManpowerGroup Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/man) MAN · losing its lead · Evidence leans down · 67% evidence 43.2 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 18.7/35 · Revenue 7.3% · Profit n/a · Operating margin change -0.2 points · 71% evidence Capital efficiency 9.8/25 · ROCE 9.9% · Operating margin 1.7% · 76% evidence Valuation 9.5/20 · P/E 21.5× · PEG n/a · 15% evidence Relative strength 5.2/20 · Lead over its industry -10.1% · Lead over S&P 500 14.8% · 1 year 58.3% · 100% evidence · 8 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 18.7 + 9.8 + 9.5 + 5.2 = 43.2 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 8. [Insperity, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/nsp) NSP · quiet · Evidence leans down · 64% evidence 40.7 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 13.3/35 · Revenue 2.6% · Profit -140% · Operating margin change 0.8 points · 62% evidence Capital efficiency 5.2/25 · ROCE -0.5% · Operating margin 0.4% · 76% evidence Valuation 11.5/20 · P/E -98.5× · PEG n/a · 15% evidence Relative strength 10.7/20 · Lead over its industry -5.5% · Lead over S&P 500 21.9% · 1 year 47.6% · 100% evidence · 7 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 13.3 + 5.2 + 11.5 + 10.7 = 40.7 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 9. [Barrett Business Services, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/bbsi) BBSI · turning · Most evidence points down · 81% evidence 32.1 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 9.5/35 · Revenue 5.5% · Profit -35.2% · Operating margin change -2.7 points · 83% evidence Capital efficiency 13.3/25 · ROCE 17.2% · Operating margin 4.8% · 76% evidence Valuation 3.8/20 · P/E 24.9× · PEG 3.37 · 65% evidence Relative strength 5.5/20 · Lead over its industry -30.5% · Lead over S&P 500 -7.1% · 1 year -1.7% · 100% evidence · 0 of 12 weeks ahead Exact sum: 9.5 + 13.3 + 3.8 + 5.5 = 32.1 · What this means: The evidence is balanced: no factor stands out, so another reported quarter is needed before the picture is clearer. 10. CALM Chain International Limited CCIL · Too little evidence to rank firmly · 11% evidence 57.2 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative How the score adds up Growth & earnings 21.9/43.75 · Revenue n/a · Profit n/a · Operating margin change n/a · 0% evidence Capital efficiency 22.8/31.25 · ROCE 112.4% · Operating margin n/a · 46% evidence Valuation 12.5/25 · P/E n/a · PEG n/a · 0% evidence Relative strength: no reading this week · its 20 points are shared across the other three Exact sum: 21.9 + 22.8 + 12.5 = 57.2 (no relative-strength reading this week; its 20 points are shared across the other three) · What this means: Some evidence is missing, so the score is pulled toward the middle on purpose. 11. [Kelly Services, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/kelyb) KELYB · turning · Too little evidence to rank firmly · 44% evidence 34.6 out of 100 Growth Capital Valuation Relative

Missing figures are not scored as bad. They lower the confidence and pull the final score toward the middle. Relative strength counts only when the company has a reading for this week; with no reading, that factor is left out and its 20 points are shared across the other three in proportion. PEG is not shown when the ratio cannot mean anything: the company must be making a profit, its price-to-earnings must be positive, and its three-year earnings growth must fall between 5% and 60%. Dividing a price multiple by a loss, or by growth measured off a tiny base, produces a number that looks precise and tells you nothing. Under relative strength, one mark per week shows the last 12 weeks: a mark is filled where the company led S&P 500 by 5% or more over the 13 weeks ending that week, which is the same test used everywhere on this site. Price stage places the company on the same six-step path the industry is placed on (basing, turning, breaking out, leader, fading, asleep), read from how many weeks running it has led S&P 500 and whether that lead is growing or shrinking. It describes where the share price stands, not the direction of earnings, and it is not a recommendation; it is left blank for a company whose weekly history is too short or too stale to read. The figures in this ranking come from the industry comparison: results through the Sep 2026 quarter, and the P/E at that quarter's end. The sections above use the latest weekly price, so a P/E or return there can differ a little from the one here. The stage words in this ranking (such as losing its lead or breaking out) describe the lead over the index, not the price phase in the price section. Related companies: [Staffing & Employment Services](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/sectors/staffing-employment-services), all 11 compared on one page. ## Which companies are close to HireQuest in size? HireQuest is the 10th largest of 10 Staffing & Employment Services companies on Sector Alpha by market value (scores of 3 November 2026). Just above it: ManpowerGroup Inc., Insperity, Inc., Kforce Inc., Barrett Business Services, Inc., Kelly Services, Inc. and TrueBlue, Inc. It is the smallest. ### Staffing & Employment Services companies close in size

1. [ManpowerGroup Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/man) $2.1 billion
2. [Insperity, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/nsp) $1.9 billion
3. [Kforce Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/kfrc) $968 million
4. [Barrett Business Services, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/bbsi) $793 million
5. [Kelly Services, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/kelyb) $602 million
6. [TrueBlue, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/tbi) $292 million
7. HireQuest, Inc. $232 million

[All 10 Staffing & Employment Services companies, largest first](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/sectors/staffing-employment-services#all-companies)

### Companies close in size in other industries

1. [Octave Specialty Group, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/osg) $227 million · Insurance - Specialty
2. [Digi Power X Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/dgxx) $227 million · Utilities - Independent Power Producers
3. HireQuest, Inc. $227 million
4. [Chicago Atlantic Real Estate Finance, Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/refi) $226 million · REIT - Mortgage
5. [Imperial Petroleum Inc.](https://www.sectoralpha.in/us/stocks/impp) $226 million · Oil & Gas Midstream

## What else do people ask about HireQuest? ### What were HireQuest's latest quarterly results? HireQuest, Inc. reported revenue of $8.1 M and net profit of $2.7 M for the Jun 2026 quarter. Revenue rose 6.0% and profit rose 154.0% compared with a year earlier. Earnings per share were $0.20. The operating margin was 41.3%, 27.6 percentage points higher than a year earlier (as of 3 November 2026). ### What is HireQuest's market cap? HireQuest, Inc.'s market capitalisation is $232 M at a stock price of $16.71. Market cap is the share price times the number of shares, so it changes whenever the price moves (as of 3 November 2026). ### How is HireQuest performing? HireQuest, Inc.'s latest readings are below. In its latest quarter, revenue rose 6.0% and profit rose 154.0% compared with a year earlier. Over the past 13 weeks it has done better than the S&P 500, for 24 weeks running. This describes what the data did, not a rating (as of 3 November 2026). ### Will HireQuest's stock price go up? This page does not forecast HireQuest, Inc.'s stock price. What it shows instead: the stock price is $16.71. Its P/E of 28.8× is higher than 70% of its own last 1 years. Nobody can reliably say which way a price will move, and this site does not try (as of 3 November 2026). ### Where is HireQuest in its business cycle? HireQuest, Inc.'s FY25 operating margin was 22.7%, against a 5-year range of 22.7% to 51.8%: the low end of its own range, which is often where recoveries start. The latest quarter was 41.3%. Comparing margins with a company's own long history is a good way to see where it is in its cycle (as of 3 November 2026). ### What could break the HireQuest story? Biggest thing to watch: the P/E is higher than 70% of its own history, so the multiple has already done part of the work. On price, this page treats a rise as over when the share price closes below its 200-day average on two Fridays in a row (as of 3 November 2026). ### Is HireQuest a stock worth studying right now? What the numbers show: HireQuest, Inc.'s share price, valuation and earnings point in different directions. The next one or two quarters should make it clearer. The main open question: the next one or two quarters of results. Every number on this page is worked out by code from the published figures, with no forecasts and no price opinions (as of 3 November 2026). This is research, not advice. We’re not SEBI-registered.