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Hays

LSE:HAS · GB0004161021
Professional ServicesLarge

360

13
EV / EBIT15
Price / Owner Earnings97
Owner Earnings Yield1
Dividend Yield35
Price/Sales95
EV / Gross Profit44
Price/Book42
Return on Capital22
Cash Return on Capital18
Return on Equity20
EBIT Margin8
Gross Profitability5
Accruals79
Owner Earnings Margin18
Sales growth4
Profit Growth21
Long-Term EPS Growth88
Owner Earnings Growth14
Reinvestment84
Price momentum15
Debt load52
Refinancing81
Debt Payback1
Liquidity45
Analyst ratings10
Opinion Changes50
Price Target Upside34
Market mood34
Value Creation6/20not creating value
  • Creates more value than its capital costs
  • Owner earnings growing
  • Owner earnings per share growing
  • Reinvests at strong returns
  • Solid earnings base

What this means

Hays doesn't consistently earn more than its cost of capital, so it isn't yet creating shareholder value.

Profile

CountryUK
IndustryProfessional Services
SizeLarge
TypePublic Company
ExchangeLSE
Founded1987
Employees19,500
Websitehaysplc.com
ISINGB0004161021
Last UpdateApr 2, 2026
Indices
FTSE 250 (United Kingdom)FTSE 350 (United Kingdom)FTSE All Shares (United Kingdom)
Themes
HRTechSocial RecruitingRecruiting

Description

Hays plc (Hays) operates as a recruiting expert with a primary focus on skilled or specialist recruitment across various sectors. Business Segments The company operates through Permanent Recruitment, Contract Recruitment, and Managed Services Provi…

Analysis

Weak and unloved

Hays plc is weak and unloved: below-average business metrics and a price that reflects that disappointment.

Valuation data is not available for this company.

The trajectory is tepid and the balance sheet is adequate. The company scores 6/20 on our value-creation score: not creating value.

Nothing is flagged here: no red or amber gates, no divergence between profits and cash. That is itself information: the numbers are straightforward. As always: this describes the company's numbers; it is not a recommendation.

360° rank · history

1007550250
17
2023202420252026

All-time high

100

Jan 2023

All-time low

12

Jan 2026

Average rank

36

across all years

Detailed & Historical Ranks

Deep dive into 15 detailed ranks and 3 years of history.

Current202520242023
Price/Sales
95
90
93
95
Price/Earnings
3
30
36
56
Price/Book
42
50
38
53
Dividend Yield
35
26
77
77
Value (overall)
22
27
52
81

Cells are coloured by rank band (red weak → green strong). Sentiment & 360° history begins 2023.

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Make Sense of the Ranks

Every rank runs 1–100 against true peers. Higher is always better.

360° View
1 · Watch OutGood· 100
Value
1 · ExpensiveGood Value· 100
Quality
1 · Weak FundamentalsHigh Quality· 100
Growth
1 · Tough TimesHigh Growth· 100
Safety
1 · High LeverageWell-Financed· 100
Sentiment
1 · SkepticismPositive· 100
Learn More →