HireQuest (NASDAQ:HQI) Share Price Breaks Above 50-Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Posted by Stanley Muller on Nov 8th, 2026

Shares of HireQuest, Inc. (NASDAQ:HQI – Get Free Report) crossed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $17.32 and traded as high as $18.02. HireQuest shares last traded at $17.59, with a volume of 12,657 shares.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have issued reports on HQI. Wall Street Zen lowered HireQuest from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Sunday, November 1st. Weiss Ratings raised shares of HireQuest from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Barrington Research set a $19.00 price target on shares of HireQuest in a research note on Wednesday, August 12th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of HireQuest from $15.00 to $19.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $19.00.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on HireQuest

HireQuest Stock Up 2.2%

The firm has a market capitalization of $244.50 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.86 and a beta of 1.26. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $17.32 and a 200 day moving average of $13.50.

HireQuest (NASDAQ:HQI – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, August 10th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.13 by $0.10. HireQuest had a return on equity of 16.35% and a net margin of 27.06%. The firm had revenue of $8.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $7.10 million. Analysts predict that HireQuest, Inc. will post 0.80 earnings per share for the current year.

HireQuest Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st were issued a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, September 1st. HireQuest’s payout ratio is 42.11%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On HireQuest

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in HireQuest in the second quarter worth $68,000. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of HireQuest during the second quarter worth $126,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in shares of HireQuest in the 2nd quarter worth about $157,000. Global Strategic Investment Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of HireQuest in the 2nd quarter worth about $208,000. Finally, Ancora Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of HireQuest in the 2nd quarter worth about $315,000. 12.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

HireQuest Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

HireQuest, Inc (NASDAQ: HQI) is a franchisor of staffing and workforce-solutions businesses. Through its network of independently owned and operated offices, the company supports the placement of temporary and permanent employees across a range of industries, including construction, light industrial, manufacturing, hospitality, logistics, office services and healthcare.

HireQuest’s brands include HireQuest, HireQuest Direct and Snelling, among others. Its staffing offices typically recruit, screen and place workers with client companies, while providing services such as payroll administration, workforce coordination and other employment-related support.