Robert Half 4Q net up 38 pct on demand for workers
Robert Half 4Q profit rises 38 percent as demand for workers increases
MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) -- Staffing company Robert Half International Inc. said on Tuesday that its fourth-quarter profit jumped almost 38 percent as demand grew for both temporary and full-time workers, especially in the U.S.
The company said it earned $58.3 million, or 42 cents per share, for the quarter that ended Dec. 31. That was up from $42 million, or 30 cents per share, during the same period a year earlier.
Revenue rose 5.8 percent to $1.03 billion, from $973.5 million a year earlier.
Analysts surveyed by FactSet had been expecting a profit of 41 cents per share on revenue of $1.04 billion.
Robert Half said its results were also helped by lower corporate expenses as a portion of its overall revenue, and a "solid" fourth quarter for its consulting operation, Protiviti.
For all of 2012, net income rose 40 percent to $208.9 million, or $1.50 per share, up from $147.8 million, or $1.04 per share, in 2011. Revenue rose 8.7 percent to $4.11 billion.
Robert half shares had fallen 34 cents to close at $33.53 before the results were released. They were unchanged in aftermarket trading.
