Kforce Inc. (NASDAQ:KFRC) Given Average Recommendation of "Hold" by Brokerages

Key Points

• Q1 beat and upbeat guidance: Kforce reported EPS of $0.46 vs. $0.40 expected and revenue of $330.36M, and set Q2 EPS guidance of $0.67–$0.75, driving a sharp share rally (up 37% to $43.87).
• Mixed analyst stance but bullish moves: The five covering analysts have an average recommendation of "Hold" (three holds, two buys) with a mean 1‑year target of $39.67, while Robert W. Baird and William Blair recently raised ratings/targets (Baird to $42/outperform).
• Dividend and heavy institutional ownership: Kforce announced a quarterly dividend of $0.40 (annualized $1.60, ex‑dividend June 12; yield ~3.6%, payout ratio ~81%), and institutional investors own roughly 92.77% of the shares amid notable position changes by large firms like Goldman Sachs and Millennium.

Shares of Kforce Inc. (NASDAQ:KFRC - Get Free Report) have earned an average recommendation of "Hold" from the five analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $39.6667.

Several research firms have recently commented on KFRC. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Kforce from $40.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Kforce from $34.50 to $39.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 3rd. William Blair upgraded shares of Kforce from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Truist Financial boosted their target price on shares of Kforce from $35.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded shares of Kforce from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 28th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of KFRC. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Kforce by 9.7% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 22,785 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,114,000 after acquiring an additional 2,017 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of Kforce by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 10,841 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $530,000 after purchasing an additional 474 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of Kforce by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 133,829 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $6,543,000 after purchasing an additional 4,511 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Kforce by 64.9% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 251,712 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $12,306,000 after purchasing an additional 99,050 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in shares of Kforce by 5.8% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 39,416 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,927,000 after purchasing an additional 2,159 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.77% of the company's stock.

More Kforce News

Here are the key news stories impacting Kforce this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings beat consensus — EPS $0.46 vs. $0.40 estimate — and management issued Q2 EPS guidance of $0.670–$0.750, signaling stronger near‑term profitability expectations. This beat + guidance combination is the primary bullish catalyst behind earlier upside in the shares. Business Wire: Kforce Reports First Quarter 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade/target lift: Robert W. Baird raised its price target to $42 and put an “Outperform” rating on KFRC, implying meaningful upside versus current levels and likely supporting buy‑side interest. Benzinga: Baird Raises Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Kforce announced a quarterly dividend of $0.40 (annualized yield ~5.0%), which can attract income‑focused investors and provide a floor under the shares. (Record/ex‑dividend dates disclosed.)
• Neutral Sentiment: Extensive analyst and media coverage — multiple earnings call transcripts and writeups are circulating (InsiderMonkey, Yahoo/Seeking Alpha, Zacks), increasing transparency and short‑term volatility but not necessarily changing fundamentals. InsiderMonkey: Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst positioning: some firms (e.g., William Blair) reiterate Outperform/Buy, while others maintain lower targets (example: price target maintained at $32 by William Blair/Trevor Romeo per TipRanks entry), producing divergent signals for investors. TipRanks: Rating Reiterated
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue is essentially flat year‑over‑year ($330.4M, up 0.1%) and some third‑party summaries note revenue slightly below certain consensus tallies; net income showed modest weakness versus last year — these top‑line/margin nuances are limiting enthusiasm and may weigh on the stock. QuiverQuant: Q1 Financial Snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional activity shows notable portfolio adjustments (large trims by several firms), which can add selling pressure or reduce conviction among larger holders. This, combined with mixed revenue trends, helps explain the stock’s downward move today. QuiverQuant: Institutional Holdings

Kforce Stock Up 37.0%

NASDAQ KFRC traded up $11.86 on Tuesday, hitting $43.87. The stock had a trading volume of 428,617 shares, compared to its average volume of 257,723. The business's fifty day moving average price is $28.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $30.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 2.06 and a quick ratio of 2.06. Kforce has a 52-week low of $24.49 and a 52-week high of $47.48. The stock has a market cap of $799.61 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.43 and a beta of 0.49.

Kforce (NASDAQ:KFRC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The business services provider reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.06. Kforce had a net margin of 3.59% and a return on equity of 30.34%. The business had revenue of $330.36 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $328.98 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.45 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. Kforce has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.670-0.750 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Kforce will post 2.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Kforce Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 26th. Investors of record on Friday, June 12th will be given a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 12th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. Kforce's payout ratio is currently 81.22%.

Kforce Company Profile

Kforce Inc is a professional staffing services firm headquartered in Tampa, Florida, trading on NASDAQ under the symbol KFRC. The company specializes in connecting organizations with skilled talent in technology, finance and accounting, and related business functions. Through a nationwide network of offices, Kforce partners with clients across industries to deliver both flexible contract staffing and direct hire placement solutions.

Kforce's core offerings include temporary staffing, permanent placement, and project-based consulting engagements.

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