Over at the U.S. Department of Labor, look for the hits to keep on coming. Two months ago, we saw headhunting firm Korn/Ferry (NYSE:KFY) report exceptionally strong growth in both revenues and profits, just a few days after the Labor Department had reported decent, if not explosive, growth in U.S. jobs. Updated jobs data are due out Friday, which coincidentally is the same day that peer headhunter Heidrick & Struggles (NASDAQ:HSII) intends to release its own numbers.
Based on the earnings report just out from temporary staffer Kforce (NASDAQ:KFRC), the likelihood is that we'll see the employment numbers continue their strong performance. Why? Because as staffing agency, after headhunter, after temp firm, report successive record sales and profits, sooner or later, these companies' successes have to start showing up on the government's official radar screen.
In the second quarter of 2005, Kforce reported that its revenues surged more than 30% against Q2 2004. And like Korn/Ferry in June, Kforce was pleased as punch to inform investors of just how well that revenue growth played out on the firm's bottom line. Overall firm-wide profits skyrocketed nearly 22 times. Unfortunately, continued stock dilution watered down that profits increase before earnings reached the per-share level. But even after the firm's share count expanded by more than 16% year over year, profits per diluted share still came in at $0.14 per share -- a remarkable increase over Q2 2004's $0.01 a share.
Speaking of dilution, it's worth pointing out that the company did buy back 751,000 shares of its common stock in Q2 -- and did so at a very nice price by paying, on average, $7.87 per share. Yet despite those buybacks, the company's share count nonetheless increased, not only by the staggering 16% year-on-year amount noted above, but also (in a much more muted manner) sequentially against Q1 2005.
So yes, Kforce, it's great that you're buying back shares. And yes, it certainly looks like you bought them at a bargain. Keep up the good work with that (and with the revenue and profits growth, too, of course), but don't expect any shareholder adulation for another few quarters. I doubt it will be forthcoming until the year-on-year comparisons of diluted shares outstanding have had time to scroll off the side of your income statement.
Read about the Force, Luke, in:
- It's Warp Speed for Kforce
- Staffer Shoots for Stars
- Employment Stocks to Rise?
- Kforce Comes Out Fighting
Fool contributor Rich Smith does not own shares in any company named above.
