Hays plc – Q1 update emphasising “Strong progress executing our Momentum strategy at pace”, but how’s the financial progress?

Most recently on international recruitment company Hays plc (HAS), in August with the shares around 68p I wrote ‘full-year results emphasise “profit growth in H2”, but how sustainably?’ concluding I retained caution and avoid. Now a trading statement including a headline “Strong progress executing our Momentum strategy at pace” but what of the shares currently further down to below 60p?

Hays (#HAS) – Q1 net fees -5% YoY, “perm activity remains mixed with sustained strong growth in North America but ongoing fragility in Northern Europe”

Hays plc – full-year results emphasise “profit growth in H2”, but how sustainably?

International recruitment company Hays plc (HAS) has announced results for its year ended 30th June 2026 headlined “Decisive Actions Drive Profit Growth in H2; Momentum Strategy Launched”… and what about a current share price response more than 4.5% lower?

Hays (#HAS) – FY adj. EPS -8% to 1.21p, DPS cut to 0.44p, emphasises second-half improvement

Hays (#HAS) – Q4 LFL net fees -5% YoY, argues progress on a more competitive operating model “well underway”

Hays plc – “CEO Appointment”, who has “recruitment process… led by the Nomination Committee with the support of external consultants” found?…

In February from international recruitment company Hays plc (HAS) it was ‘interims further decline and now also CEO “stepping down… with immediate effect”!’ with “Mark Dearnley, Chief Digital and Technology Officer, will become interim Chief Executive Officer… A recruitment process to identify a permanent successor will begin immediately, led by the Nomination Committee with the support of external consultants”. So what have they come up with?, as it’s now “CEO Appointment”.

Hays (#HAS) – Interim CEO Mark Dearnley appointed as CEO, good luck chap!

Hays plc – emphasises ‘good growth in several of our focus countries’, but what about overall?…

Most recently on recruitment company with offices now in 29 countries Hays plc (HAS), in February I wrote ‘interims further decline and now also CEO “stepping down… with immediate effect”!’ and concluded with the shares falling to below 41p to still avoid/sell. The shares most recently closed at 32.14p but what about now a “Third Quarter Trading Statement” and the shares currently up to 34.5p?

Hays (#HAS) – Q3 net fees -7% YoY and “mindful of heightened global macro-economic uncertainty and the impact this could have on the wider economy”

Hays plc – interims further decline and now also CEO “stepping down… with immediate effect”!

Most recently on recruitment company with offices in 30 countries Hays plc (HAS), last month with the shares slightly further lower towards 50p I concluded with the trading challenges ahead of 27th February-scheduled half year results detail still avoid. What about now those results and another announcement… and the shares, having most recently closed at near 45p, now falling to below 41p?

Hays (#HAS) – CEO Dirk Hahn “stepping down… with immediate effect for personal reasons”, Chief Digital & Technology Officer Mark Dearnley appointed Interim CEO

Hays (#HAS) – H1 adj. EPS slump to 0.46p, DPS to 0.15p, noting “macroeconomic and political uncertainty”

Hays – second quarter return to net cash, But…

Recruitment company with offices in 30 countries, Hays plc (HAS) has issued a “Second Quarter Trading Statement” including highlighting “strong consultant net fee productivity growth of 6% driven by continued focus on strategic delivery and resource allocation… strong progress with our initiatives to deliver further structural cost savings… c.£40m net cash (30 September 2025: c.£40m net debt)”. So what about currently a slightly further lower share price response towards 50p?

Hays (#HAS) – Q2 LFL net fees -10% YoY, noting “ongoing macroeconomic uncertainty”

Hays plc – Q1 “pre-exceptional operating profit was broadly stable YoY”, but how encouraging is that?…

Recruitment company with offices in 31 countries, Hays (HAS) has issued a “First Quarter Trading Statement” to 30th September 2025 including arguing that it “continue to make significant strategic and operational progress, and were pleased to deliver 4% net fee growth with large Enterprise clients and good Temp & Contracting net fee growth in several of our focus countries”. However, what about a share price still down from above 60p early last month at 58.9p?

Hays (#HAS) – Q1 net fees -8% YoY, adj. Op profit “broadly stable”, “expect near term market conditions to remain challenging”

Hays plc – full-year results emphasising “Delivering strategic progress despite challenging markets”, so further financial decline then!

Recruitment company with offices in 31 countries, Hays (HAS) has announced results for its year ended 30th June 2025 headlined “Delivering strategic progress despite challenging markets”. With an emphasis of “strategic progress” tending to mean there’s a lack of financial progress to emphasise and here it also stated “challenging markets”, how do the results and outlook compare to the valuation with the shares currently slightly down in response to the announcement at 63p?

Hays (#HAS) – FY adj. EPS down to 1.31p, DPS to 1.24p, currently “no significant change to trading momentum”

Hays plc – profit warning on net fee declines despite admitted “soft” comparatives!

Most recently on international recruitment company Hays plc (HAS), in February with the shares slightly falling from just above 73p, despite it arguing its “key markets are being driven by powerful, supportive megatrends and remain characterised by significant talent shortages”, I noted macroeconomic headwinds and that there could be structural challenge to the sector also so to still avoid. The shares most recently closed at just above 70p and what of them currently falling towards 60p on the back of a “Pre-Close Year End Trading Update”?

Hays (#HAS) – profit warning “driven primarily by broad-based weakness in Perm markets globally”, noting macroeconomic uncertainty