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6 Reasons to Add Robert Half (RHI) Stock to Your Portfolio Now

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Robert Half International Inc. (RHI - Free Report) is a staffing and risk consulting services provider that has performed brilliantly over the past year and has the potential to sustain the momentum in the near term. Consequently, if you have not taken advantage of the share-price appreciation yet, it’s time you add the stock to your portfolio.

What Makes Robert Half an Attractive Pick?

An Outperformer: A glimpse of the company’s price trend reveals that the stock has had an impressive run on the bourse over the past year. Shares of Robert Half have returned 69.1%, significantly outperforming the 38% growth of the industry it belongs to.

Solid Rank: Robert Half currently carries a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Our research shows that stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2 (Buy) offer attractive investment opportunities. Thus, the company is a compelling investment proposition at the moment. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Northward Estimate Revisions: The direction of estimate revisions serves as an important pointer when it comes to the price of a stock. Five estimates for 2021 moved north over the past 60 days versus no southward revision for Robert Half, reflecting analysts’ confidence in the stock. Over the same period, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2021 earnings has moved 5.4% north.

Positive Earnings Surprise History: Robert Half has an impressive earnings surprise history. The company outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 20.5%.

Strong Growth Prospects: The Zacks Consensus Estimate of $5.29 for Robert Half’s 2021 earnings per share reflects year-over-year growth of 95.9%. Earnings are expected to register 7.9% growth in 2022.

Growth Factors: Protiviti, the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary through which it offers risk consulting, internal audit and information technology consulting services, is in great shape. It is focusing on technology consulting, with additional emphasis on cloud computing, cybersecurity and digital transformation. Protiviti revenues increased 55% year over year to $501 million on an as-adjusted basis in the third quarter.

Robert Half has a strong balance sheet. The company had no debt at the end of third-quarter 2021 against a cash and cash equivalent balance of $634 million. The company paid out $156 million, $146 million and $136 million in dividends, respectively, in 2020, 2019 and 2018. It repurchased shares worth $138 million, $250 million and $351 million, respectively, in 2020, 2019 and 2018. Such shareholder-friendly initiatives not only instill investors’ confidence, but also positively impact the company's earnings.

Other Stocks to Consider

Some other top-ranked stocks in the broader Business Services sector are Avis Budget (CAR - Free Report) and Cross Country Healthcare (CCRN - Free Report) , both sporting a Zacks Rank #1, and Charles River Associates (CRAI - Free Report) , carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Avis Budget has an expected earnings growth rate of 453.5% for the current year. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 76.9%, on average.

Avis Budget’s shares have surged 518.6% in the past year. The company has a long-term earnings growth of 18.8%.

Cross Country Healthcare has an expected earnings growth rate of 500% for the current year. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 75%, on average.

Cross Country Healthcare’s shares have surged 170.4% in the past year. The company has a long-term earnings growth of 21.5%.

Charles River Associates has an expected earnings growth rate of 61.2% for the current year. The company has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 51%, on average.

Charles River’s shares have surged 75.4% in the past year. The company has a long-term earnings growth of 15.5%.

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