Wrapping up Q4 earnings, we look at the numbers and key takeaways for the professional staffing & hr solutions stocks, including Insperity (NYSE: NSP) and its peers.

The Professional Staffing & HR Solutions subsector within Business Services is set to benefit from evolving workforce trends, including the rise of remote work and the gig economy. With companies casting a wider net to find talent due to remote work, the expertise of staffing and recruiting companies is even more valuable. For those who invest wisely, the use of predictive AI in recruitment and screening as well as automation in HR workflows can enhance efficiency and scalability. On the other hand, digitization means that talent discovery is less of a manual process, opening the door for tech-first platforms. Additionally, regulatory scrutiny around data privacy in HR is evolving and may require companies in this sector to change their go-to-market strategies over time.

The 8 professional staffing & hr solutions stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.1% below.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 13.7% since the latest earnings results.

Weakest Q4: Insperity (NYSE: NSP)

Pioneering the professional employer organization (PEO) industry it helped establish, Insperity (NYSE: NSP) provides human resources outsourcing services to small and medium-sized businesses, handling payroll, benefits, compliance, and HR administration.

Insperity reported revenues of $1.67 billion, up 3.4% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 0.5%. Overall, it was a disappointing quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates.

“We accomplished the key objective of our year-end transition with a step up in gross profit margin, which we believe positions the company for a significant recovery in profitability this year,” said Paul J. Sarvadi, Insperity chairman and chief executive officer.

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 22.5% since reporting and currently trades at $26.08.

Read our full report on Insperity here, it’s free.

Best Q4: First Advantage (NASDAQ: FA)

Processing over 200 million screens annually across more than 200 countries and territories, First Advantage (NASDAQ: FA) provides employment background screening, identity verification, and compliance solutions to help companies manage hiring risks.

First Advantage reported revenues of $420 million, up 36.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.3%. The business had an exceptional quarter with an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates.

First Advantage scored the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 18.6% since reporting. It currently trades at $11.29.

Is now the time to buy First Advantage? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Alight (NYSE: ALIT)

Born from a corporate spinoff in 2017 to focus on employee experience technology, Alight (NYSE: ALIT) provides human capital management solutions that help companies administer employee benefits, payroll, and workforce management systems.

Alight reported revenues of $653 million, down 4% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates and revenue in line with analysts’ estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 62.4% since the results and currently trades at $0.49.

Read our full analysis of Alight’s results here.

Robert Half (NYSE: RHI)

With roots dating back to 1948 as the first specialized recruiting firm for accounting and finance professionals, Robert Half (NYSE: RHI) provides specialized talent solutions and business consulting services, connecting skilled professionals with companies across various fields.

Robert Half reported revenues of $1.30 billion, down 5.8% year on year. This result beat analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. It was a strong quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

Robert Half had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 11.5% since reporting and currently trades at $23.98.

Read our full, actionable report on Robert Half here, it’s free.

Kforce (NYSE: KFRC)

With nearly 60 years of matching skilled professionals with the right opportunities, Kforce (NYSE: KFRC) is a professional staffing company that specializes in placing technology and finance experts with businesses on both temporary and permanent bases.

Kforce reported revenues of $332 million, down 3.4% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 0.8%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also put up an impressive beat of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates and revenue guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations.

The stock is down 19.9% since reporting and currently trades at $29.39.

Read our full, actionable report on Kforce here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.