Stock Ratings / Consumer Discretionary / HQI

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HireQuest Inc. (HQI) — RQD Stock Rating Cockpit

$16.30 -3.26% NASDAQ • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $16.17

HireQuest Inc. (HQI) carries a Roarable Rating of C (Hold) with 62/100 RQD Confidence. The composite score sits in the neutral Hold band (59–69), meaning current holders don’t need to panic-sell while prospective buyers can wait for a move into the 70+ Buy zone.

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 62/100 (C) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (+0.7% avg 90D alpha vs SPY) →

ROARABLE C • HOLD / WATCH Cap $226.6M

📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card

⚡ INSTANT AI QUANT PREVIEW • $0 FREE TIER Click Any Pre-Computed AI Quant Specialist Briefing on HQI Below — or Connect Your Own ChatGPT / Claude

🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is HQI stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

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As of 2026-11-02, HireQuest Inc. (NASDAQ: HQI) is rated C (Hold / HOLD) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 62/100 at a spot price of $16.30 (-3.26% 1D, market cap $226.6M). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 13/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 8/20, Executive Insider Alignment 14/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 14/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 13/20. Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, HQI ranks #308 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does HQI compare to TSSI and RCMT in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

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Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Professional Services), HQI carries a Roarable C (62/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 35.8x, gross margin of —, and ROIC of 7.3%. By comparison, TSSI (TSS Inc.) holds a C grade (63/100 RQD, P/E 14.2x, ROIC 46.4%, cap $215.3M) and RCMT (RCM Technologies Inc.) posts a B+ grade (78/100 RQD, P/E 15.6x, ROIC 46.0%, cap $255.3M). Among the 5-stock peer group, TSSI leads on earnings multiple (14.2x) while TSSI leads on capital efficiency (46.4% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for HQI?

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Per HQI's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0001140102), HireQuest Inc. generated $30.6M in revenue (-11.4% YoY), $6.3M in net income, and $12.0M in free cash flow against $88.2M in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Established market leader in Consumer Discretionary with deep daily trading liquidity.. Primary risk factors monitored: Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).

INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:

🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray

EXT / AFTER-HRS: $16.17 (-0.78%)🧬 Cannibal Buyback (-1.52% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 13/20 (C) • 39.3% FCF Margin

Verify 90D Bucket Audit →

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 62/100 (C) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (+0.7% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 54.3% hit rate — wait for RQD ≥ 70 breakout).

Audit Bucket Track Record →

RQD QUANT TACHOMETERHOLD / WATCH • C

JEV AI Jury Split (Battleground)

Cash

SEC

Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw D+ · Rk B-

Each axis scored 0–20

12M PRICE TARGET CONE+1.8% Base Target

WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for HQI)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±12%

Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (62/100 Composite)

🔍 WHY HQI SCORES 62/100 (C) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag

▲ #1 Bullish Driver: SEC 10-K Forensic Risk+14/20 pts (23% of score)

Altman Z-Score 8.36 (FORTRESS SAFE (>3.0)) • Piotroski F-Score 6/9

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Macro Regime Fit+14/20 pts (23% of score)

FRED Regime × Technicals: 66% of 52W Range • RSI-14 at 41.5 (NEUTRAL RANGE)

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Whale & Options Positioning8/20 pts (-12 pt drag)

Put hedging (50% put share) caps near-term gamma upside (-12 pts vs max)

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current

Q1 (-3Q)

Grade B$17.48-0.9% Next Q

Q2 (-2Q)

Grade B-$17.33-0.9% Next Q

Q3 (-1Q)

Grade C+$17.18-5.1% Next Q

Current

Grade C$16.30+0.7% Hist 90D α

Trajectory: B (70) → C (62)Full Audit →

⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)GIDEON ASHMERE // FORENSIC SHORT & KILL-SWITCH DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the HQI Bull Thesis Could Fail

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

Even with a 62/100 (C) score, HQI faces multiple-compression risk if 35.8x trailing P/E re-rate toward historical sector medians or if hyperscaler/enterprise customer concentration slows in upcoming 10-Q filings.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #1

Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #2

Dilution & Margin Drag: Cannibal Buyback (-1.52% YoY Shares) — any gross margin slip below 49.5% triggers an automatic RQD downgrade.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #3

Technical & Forensic Kill-Switch: A daily close below the 50D SMA ($17.29) or 200D SMA ($13.38) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($16.59) toward Bear Floor ($12.94).

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $HQI• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite

Contract: “HQI Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Dec 30, 2026) & Holds Above 200D SMA”

YES 62%NO 38%Trade / Inspect Odds →

RSI-14 MOMENTUMNEUTRAL RANGE

41.530 Oversold · 70 Hot

ALTMAN-Z SHIELDFORTRESS SAFE (>3.0)

8.36>3.0 Fortress Safe

PIOTROSKI F-SCORESOLID CORE (5–6)

6 / 99-Pt Accounting

52-WEEK LASER RANGE66% OF RANGE

L: $7$16.30H: $21

1. Money & Cash Health● MIXED

Are profits real cash in the bank?

Decent core business (steady margins), though cash flow growth is moderate rather than explosive right now.

Factor Grade: CRQD 13 / 20

2. Big Money & Insiders● TRIMMING

Are whales & executives buying or selling?

Insiders and big institutional desks have been trimming shares rather than stepping up to buy.

Factor Grade: D+RQD 21 / 40

3. Hidden Risks & Market Weather● ALL CLEAR

SEC fine-print scan & interest-rate fit

Clean SEC fine-print check with low hidden accounting risk and favorable interest-rate weather.

Factor Grade: B-RQD 28 / 40

MULTI-MODEL JEV QUANT JURY DELIBERATION

JEV AI Jury Split (Battleground) on HQI

Cash & Moat Bull AI

ROIC & Free Cash Flow Model

NEUTRAL (65)

7.3% ROIC with 42.0% gross margin and 5.32% FCF yield.

SEC Forensic Auditor AI

10-K Accruals & Altman-Z Guard

BULLISH (70)

Altman-Z 8.36 and Piotroski 6/9 pass balance-sheet audit.

Whale & Macro Hawk AI

Options Skew, 13F & Fed NetLiq

NEUTRAL (58)

21/40 institutional & smart-money positioning score with 14/20 macro alignment.

Bull Case: Why Buyers Like HQI

✓Established market leader in Consumer Discretionary with deep daily trading liquidity.

Bear Case: What Could Go Wrong

!Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.

ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher & Roarable Quantitative Research Desk

Scheduled RQD Strong Buys & Whale Accumulation Briefing (HQI Tape Review)

✓Breakdown of the highest-scoring RQD Green-Light breakouts across our 5,200+ rated universe
✓Forensic Red-Light accounting & dilution traps to review on your watchlist
✓Includes downloadable .ics calendar invite & nightly RQD rating-change email alerts

RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED

Want Custom AI PineScript / Python Indicators & Priority Rating-Change Alerts?

Join Founding VIP Waitlist (No Card Required) →$100K Arena

HQI // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: +41.37%🛡️ HOLDING TREND SUPPORT

2026-11-02O $16.85H $16.85L $16.30C $16.30VOL 12.5K

RES: $22.32SUP: $15.88SMA50: $17.29SMA200: $13.38

PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

HQI Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

🦋 HQI Butterfly Map → + Track HQI →

Share Count & Dilution Monitor (#25)

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)

27.6%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. -11.4% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger (#33)

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on HQI today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for HQI. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video

🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for HQI today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →

DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (HQI)

Consumer Discretionary Rank #308 of 1011 ⚔️ TSSI vs HQI Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Consumer Discretionary Peer Comparison (HQI vs. TSSI, RCMT, III, AUC)

Industry: Professional Services (48 Tracked Issuers)

Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary securities in the Roarable RQD universe, HireQuest Inc. (HQI) ranks #308 by composite RQD confidence (62/100, grade C) and #678 by equity capitalization ($226.6M). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, TSSI leads on earnings valuation at 14.2x trailing P/E, while TSSI leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 46.4% ROIC and 13.2% gross margin. RCMT currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 78/100 (B+) compared with HQI at 62/100 (C).

Ticker / Company	Roarable Grade	RQD Score	Trailing P/E	Gross Margin	ROIC	1D Change	Market Cap	Head-to-Head
HQI ACTIVE HireQuest Inc.	C	62/100	35.8x	—	7.3%	-3.26%	$226.6M	Benchmark Subject
TSSI TSS Inc.	C	63/100	14.2x	13.2%	46.4%	-0.78%	$215.3M	/tssi-vs-hqi →
RCMT RCM Technologies Inc.	B+	78/100	15.6x	27.5%	46.0%	-0.69%	$255.3M	/rcmt-vs-hqi →
III Information Services Group Inc.	B-	70/100	31.5x	43.1%	11.2%	+0.33%	$294.4M	/iii-vs-hqi →
AUC ATIF Holdings Limited	D-	43/100	—	—	-17.9%	+10.28%	$173.3M	/auc-vs-hqi →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-12-31 • CIK 0001140102

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31), HireQuest Inc. (HQI) reported GAAP revenue of $30.6M (-11.4% vs. FY2024 revenue of $34.6M , and -19.1% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of $6.3M, operating cash flow of $12.0M, and free cash flow of $12.0M (+0.1% YoY). On the balance sheet, HQI closed FY2025 with $88.2M in total assets against $0 in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 8.36, Piotroski F-Score: 6/9).

Fiscal Period	Filing Date	Revenue	Net Income	Operating Cash Flow	Free Cash Flow	Total Assets	Total Debt
FY2025 (FY)	2025-12-31	$30.6M	$6.3M	$12.0M	$12.0M	$88.2M	—
FY2024 (FY)	2024-12-31	$34.6M	$3.7M	$12.0M	$12.0M	$94.0M	—
FY2023 (FY)	2023-12-31	$37.9M	$6.1M	$10.6M	$10.6M	—	—

3. HQI Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is HQI stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

How does HQI compare to TSSI and RCMT in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for HQI?

Where is HQI trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

HQI last traded at $16.30 (-3.26% on volume of 12,453 shares), positioning the stock -5.73% below its 50-day simple moving average ($17.29) and +21.82% above its 200-day simple moving average ($13.38). Across its 52-week range of $7.38 to $20.84, HQI sits at the 66.3% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 41.5 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±12.0% ($14.34 to $18.26).

HQI Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index

100% OPEN ACCESS • SEC EDGAR × CBOE × FRED

Should I buy, hold, or sell HQI stock right now?

HireQuest Inc. (HQI) currently earns a Roarable Rating of C (Hold — HOLD) with 62/100 RQD Confidence. Solid steady margins (7% return on capital), mixed timing at 36x P/E—hold if owned, no rush to chase.

What is HQI's 12-month price target and RQD AI Jury consensus?

HQI's 12-month base price target is $16.59 (range $12.94 to $21.88), backed by transparent SEC XBRL cash-flow, Form 4 insider, and CBOE options flow analysis.

Direct Sub-Reports: HQI RQD Cockpit HQI 12M Forecast HQI Earnings & Move HQI Dividends & DRIP HQI Insiders & 13F HQI Whale Options HQI Profit Sankey HQI News & Why