Robert Half (NYSE:RHI) Shares Gap Down - Should You Sell?

Robert Half Inc. (NYSE:RHI - Get Free Report) gapped down prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $47.97, but opened at $46.53. Robert Half shares last traded at $45.86, with a volume of 231,702 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on Robert Half from $69.00 to $65.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 30th. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Robert Half from $90.00 to $60.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 15th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Robert Half from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Robert Half from $80.00 to $50.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 10th. Finally, BNP Paribas raised shares of Robert Half from an "underperform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $71.50 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, February 10th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $64.92.

Robert Half Stock Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average of $53.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $64.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.71 billion, a PE ratio of 18.91 and a beta of 1.13.

Robert Half (NYSE:RHI - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 29th. The business services provider reported $0.53 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.54 by ($0.01). Robert Half had a return on equity of 17.20% and a net margin of 4.34%. As a group, research analysts predict that Robert Half Inc. will post 2.48 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Robert Half Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 14th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 25th were given a dividend of $0.59 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 25th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.11%. This is a boost from Robert Half's previous quarterly dividend of $0.53. Robert Half's payout ratio is currently 96.72%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Robert Half

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. MML Investors Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Robert Half during the third quarter worth $225,000. Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Robert Half by 131.6% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 344,233 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $23,205,000 after buying an additional 195,570 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Robert Half by 56.8% in the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 7,916 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $591,000 after buying an additional 2,869 shares during the last quarter. Tidal Investments LLC grew its holdings in Robert Half by 6.1% during the third quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 13,946 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $940,000 after acquiring an additional 797 shares during the period. Finally, Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas purchased a new position in Robert Half during the third quarter valued at approximately $1,461,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.41% of the company's stock.

Robert Half Company Profile

Robert Half Inc provides talent solutions and business consulting services in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. The company operates through Contract Talent Solutions, Permanent Placement Talent Solutions, and Protiviti segments. The Contract Talent Solutions segment provides contract engagement professionals in the fields of finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal and administrative, and customer support.