As the Q4 earnings season comes to a close, it’s time to take stock of this quarter’s best and worst performers in the professional staffing & hr solutions industry, including First Advantage (NASDAQ: FA) 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 12% since the latest earnings results.

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. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 7.3%. Overall, it was an exceptional quarter for the company with a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

“In 2025, we delivered exceptional financial results with meaningful success across all pillars of our FA 5.0 growth strategy,” said Scott Staples, Chief Executive Officer.

First Advantage pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 19% since reporting and currently trades at $11.33.

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

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, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. The business had a strong quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 7.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $24.95.

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

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, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 0.5%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ full-year EPS guidance estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS guidance for next quarter estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 21.8% since the results and currently trades at $26.33.

Read our full analysis of Insperity’s results here.

Barrett (NASDAQ: BBSI)

Operating as a professional employer organization (PEO) that serves over 8,000 companies with more than 120,000 worksite employees, Barrett Business Services (NASDAQ: BBSI) provides management solutions that help small and mid-sized businesses handle human resources, payroll, workers' compensation, and other administrative functions.

Barrett reported revenues of $321.1 million, up 5.3% year on year. This number came in 0.7% below analysts' expectations. It was a slower quarter as it also produced a slight miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.

Barrett had the weakest performance against analyst estimates among its peers. The stock is down 7.8% since reporting and currently trades at $29.01.

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

ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN)

Founded during the post-World War II economic boom when businesses needed temporary workers, ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN) connects millions of people to employment opportunities through its global network of staffing, recruitment, and workforce management services.

ManpowerGroup reported revenues of $4.71 billion, up 7.1% year on year. This result surpassed analysts’ expectations by 1.8%. Taking a step back, it was a slower quarter as it logged a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is down 3.4% since reporting and currently trades at $27.96.

Read our full, actionable report on ManpowerGroup 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 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.