Robert Half (NYSE:RHI) Stock Breaks Above 200 Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Robert Half shares moved above their 200-day moving average, reaching $37.79 before last trading at $36.02. However, the stock was down 4.7%, with its 50-day moving average at $40.49.
• Analysts hold a mixed view, resulting in a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $34.75. Recent calls included upgrades from BMO Capital Markets and Zacks Research, while Goldman Sachs maintained a “Sell” rating.
• The company reported $0.26 in quarterly EPS and $1.34 billion in revenue, though revenue declined 2.4% year over year and EPS fell from $0.41 a year earlier. Robert Half also offers a $0.59 quarterly dividend, yielding approximately 6.6%, but its payout ratio is above 200%.

Robert Half Inc. (NYSE:RHI - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $33.11 and traded as high as $37.79. Robert Half shares last traded at $36.0230, with a volume of 1,662,304 shares traded.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

RHI has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Robert Half from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 24th. Robert W. Baird set a $47.00 price target on shares of Robert Half in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Robert Half from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Robert Half from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $47.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Robert Half from $26.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Robert Half presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $34.75.

Robert Half Trading Down 4.7%

The firm has a market cap of $3.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.32 and a beta of 0.84. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $40.49 and a 200-day moving average of $33.11.

Robert Half (NYSE:RHI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The business services provider reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.26. Robert Half had a return on equity of 9.18% and a net margin of 2.17%.The firm had revenue of $1.34 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.32 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.41 EPS. The firm's revenue was down 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Robert Half Inc. will post 1.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Robert Half Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, August 25th were given a dividend of $0.59 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 25th. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.6%. Robert Half's dividend payout ratio is currently 205.22%.

Institutional Trading of Robert Half

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of RHI. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in Robert Half by 605.6% during the 2nd quarter. Elevation Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,136 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 975 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. bought a new position in Robert Half in the 2nd quarter worth about $39,000. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new stake in shares of Robert Half in the second quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Robert Half in the second quarter valued at approximately $44,000. Finally, Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Robert Half by 19.4% in the first quarter. Basecamp Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,164 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 351 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.41% of the company's stock.

About Robert Half

Robert Half Inc NYSE: RHI is a specialized staffing and professional services company that connects employers with skilled talent for temporary, contract-to-hire and permanent positions. Its staffing operations serve areas including accounting and finance, technology, legal, administrative and customer support, marketing, and creative services.

The company also provides consulting and project-based services through Protiviti, its global consulting subsidiary. Protiviti advises organizations on internal audit, risk and compliance, technology, cybersecurity, digital transformation, finance, and business performance.

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