BMO Capital Markets adjusted its outlook on Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE:RHI), a staffing firm, by lowering the price target from $72.00 to $64.00 while keeping a Market Perform rating on the company's shares.
The revision, On Thursday, follows Robert Half's report of a quarter that did not meet consensus expectations, attributed to both diminished revenues and margins. The company experienced a steeper decline in Talent Solutions revenue than anticipated, with the Contract Talent Solutions segment posting the lowest margins since the onset of the pandemic.
Robert Half's management pointed to "client and candidate caution" as a significant factor in the company's performance. However, there was a silver lining as the company's Protiviti division, which offers risk and consulting services, showed marked sequential improvement across all its major business lines.
The third-quarter outlook for 2024 provided by Robert Half was also below the consensus estimates, which includes an anticipated $0.08 restructuring charge. In response to these factors, BMO Capital has revised downward its earnings estimates and target price for the staffing company.
The adjusted price target of $64.00 reflects the challenges faced by Robert Half in the current quarter, as well as, the conservative guidance issued for the upcoming quarter. The Market Perform rating suggests that BMO Capital views the company's stock as likely to perform in line with the broader market.
Robert Half experienced a decrease in both revenues and net income per share for the second quarter of 2024. The company's revenues fell to $1.473 billion, marking a 10% decline from the previous year, while net income per share dropped to $0.66 from $1. Truist Securities and Jefferies financial analyst firm both adjusted their outlooks on Robert Half, with Truist Securities reducing its price target from $72.00 to $62.00 and Jefferies lowering its shares target to $56 from $60. Both firms maintained their respective Hold and Underperform ratings on the company's stock.
These adjustments follow Robert Half's recent performance, where it missed consensus revenue by approximately 1% and earnings per share by roughly 3%. Analysts from both firms cited ongoing weak demand and longer sales cycles as contributing factors to the company's performance.
Furthermore, Robert Half plans to transition Protiviti's Mainland China operations to an independently owned Member Firm, a move that will incur a restructuring charge of $0.08 per share. The company remains optimistic about Protiviti's strong prospects in the internal audit for large financial institutions.
InvestingPro Insights
Following the recent adjustments by BMO Capital Markets, InvestingPro data and tips offer additional insights into Robert Half International Inc. The company's management has demonstrated confidence through aggressive share buybacks, and its balance sheet holds more cash than debt, which could be a sign of financial resilience. With a dividend that has been raised for 20 consecutive years and currently yields 3.27%, Robert Half remains committed to returning value to shareholders.
InvestingPro data shows that Robert Half has a market capitalization of $6.69 billion and trades at a P/E ratio of 21.52, reflecting investor sentiment about its earnings capacity. Despite a revenue decline of 13.83% over the last twelve months as of Q1 2024, the company maintains a strong gross profit margin of 39.79%. It's worth noting that the stock is trading near its 52-week low, which might attract investors looking for potentially undervalued opportunities.
For investors seeking a deeper analysis, there are 11 additional InvestingPro Tips available, which could provide further context on the company's performance and outlook. Interested readers can use the coupon code PRONEWS24 to get up to 10% off a yearly Pro and a yearly or biyearly Pro+ subscription for access to these exclusive insights.
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