Latest news with #RandstadNV
Malaysian Reserve
11-05-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Recruiter woes compound as tariffs sting global labor markets
RECRUITERS across Europe and the US had a dismal start to the year. US President Donald Trump's tariffs are now dimming their prospects for the rest of 2025. Earnings in the sector largely missed the mark, reflecting the current harsh labor market on both sides of the Atlantic — US job openings and hiring are down, with vacancies also lower in the UK and Germany. Almost unanimously, recruiters warned that US trade policy is weighing on hiring activity. 'We're already operating on a relatively low level of hiring,' Randstad NV Chief Executive Officer Sander van't Noordende said on an earnings call. Trump's back-and-forth is only worsening existing challenges as cost pressures and a worrying global outlook extinguish hiring budgets. Temporary recruitment — which makes up the majority of staffing firms' gross profit with the exception of PageGroup Plc — looked like it was stabilizing sequentially in the US at the end of last year after the post-Covid rush for help. 'The whole recovery has been thrown into disarray' after Trump's trade war started, Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Analyst Stuart Gordon said. Lower attrition for permanent roles adds an extra challenge. Hesitancy by employers to get rid of staff after being badly burned during the pandemic, coupled with employees nervous about the job market staying put in their roles, has stunted movement on either side. 'At the moment we're sitting in a kind of vacuum,' Gordon said. In the US and Europe, 'the permanent recruitment market is really, really slowing down,' Denis Machuel, chief executive at Swiss recruitment giant Adecco Group AG, told Bloomberg in an interview. Clients are in 'wait-and-see mode.' Hays Plc saw fees in Germany, its largest market, decline 9% as an automotive slowdown has held back hiring. The number of new-starter temps in the sector was down about 50% year-on-year, Chief Financial Officer James Hilton said on an earnings call. 'If there's one place where we have seen some impact, it's automotive,' Randstad's Van't Noordende said. The unfolding trade war is making it hard to see where to go from here, UK staffing firms Robert Walters Plc and Hays said, with the latter seeing challenges persist into 2026. Meanwhile, British businesses shed workers at the fastest pace since the start of the pandemic in March, ahead of a hike in employment costs in April. 'If you took the uncertainty out of it we're probably pretty close to the trough, but this is going to elongate any visibility for a recovery' BI's Gordon said. American groups Robert Half Inc. — which mainly recruits for office workers — and ManpowerGroup Inc. both reported results that disappointed investors, citing caution among clients as the main factor. Manpower also cut its dividend by half. One silver lining might be firms that don't want to take the risk with permanent recruitment due to a lack of visibility are turning to more flexible labor, Adecco's Machuel said. The company has seen 'modest positive momentum' in its hiring numbers since April, according to a statement. There's also some hope in US companies expanding their production domestically, said Sean Puddle, Robert Walter's North America managing director, pointing to Kimberly-Clark Corp. and Apple Inc. Their billion-dollar plans to bolster US manufacturing could boost job creation in construction and manufacturing. 'The big question is how long it will take to translate to the ground level, and how much of a drop-through it will have on the labor market,' Puddle said in an interview. Prices of their goods could also rise, sapping consumer confidence and fueling job losses if business costs go up. Further afield, China — already grappling with fewer job openings, layoffs and pay cuts before the tariffs — has vowed to strengthen support for employment as trade risks mount. Recruiters there are signaling a trough. Online talent service platform Tongdao Liepin Group said the mid-to high-end recruitment market is still in the process of bottoming out and recovering, seeing the number of job postings stabilizing toward the end of 2025. Hiring demand for traditional sectors, such as consumer goods, hasn't recovered, Jefferies analysts including Thomas Chong wrote in a March note. Peer Kanzhun Ltd. expects recruitment spending to bottom out from last quarter, Chief Financial Officer Yu Zhang said, expecting an upward trajectory post-Chinese New Year. –BLOOMBERG
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Randstad NV (RANJF) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Revenue Declines with ...
EBITA: EUR167 million with an EBITA margin of 3% for Q1 2025. Revenue Decline: 4.2% year-over-year decline in organic revenue. North America EBITA Margin: 3.2%, up 90 basis points year-over-year. Northern Europe EBITA Margin: 1.4%. Southern Europe EBITA Margin: Italy at 5.8%, France at 3.7%. Asia Pacific EBITA Margin: 4.3%. Adjusted Net Income: EUR103 million. Gross Margin: 90 basis points below last year. Operating Expenses: EUR925 million, a decrease of EUR18 million sequentially. Free Cash Flow: Positive EUR59 million. Leverage Ratio: 1.6. Effective Tax Rate: 29% for Q1 2025. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 8 Warning Sign with RANJF. Release Date: April 23, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Randstad NV (RANJF) reported an EBITA of EUR167 million with an EBITA margin of 3% for Q1 2025, showcasing strong profitability despite revenue declines. The company saw continued growth in key markets such as Spain, Italy, and Japan, driven by investments in digital and skill trade segments. North America showed signs of stabilization with sequential improvement, particularly in the US, where operational business returned to growth in March. Randstad NV (RANJF) is focusing on growth segments like logistics, skilled trade, healthcare, finance, and engineering, which are showing promising results. The Asia Pacific region, especially Japan, demonstrated solid growth and strong profitability, benefiting from specialization and digital investments. Overall, Randstad NV (RANJF) experienced a 4.2% decline in organic revenue year-over-year, reflecting challenging trading conditions in many markets. The automotive sector remains a significant challenge, particularly in Northern Europe and France, impacting overall business performance. Macroeconomic uncertainty and geopolitical factors, including international tariffs, are contributing to limited visibility and cautious client behavior. Permanent hiring and professional solutions remain subdued, with declines of 19% and 15% respectively, indicating a cautious approach by businesses. The UK market continued to soften, with a notable 40% decline, highlighting regional challenges within the company's portfolio. Q: Can you discuss the impact of tariffs on your business and how it compares to the 2018 tariff situation? A: Sander Van 't Noordende, CEO, explained that the current environment is more dynamic and uncertain due to broader economic and geopolitical factors, not just tariffs. The automotive sector has seen some impact, but it's too early to determine the full effect. Unlike 2018, current hiring levels are already low, and the penetration rate is lower. The company focuses on growth areas like logistics and healthcare to mitigate risks. Q: How did the growth trends evolve throughout Q1, and what regions showed improvement? A: Jorge Vazquez, CFO, noted that the U.S. showed significant improvement, with operational business returning to growth in March. Digital specialization also grew. The company entered April with a better rate than the Q1 average, indicating progress in key markets. Q: What drove the decline in depreciation, and what are the expectations for the full year? A: Jorge Vazquez, CFO, attributed the decline to the divestment of Monster, stating that depreciation will remain stable throughout the year. Q: Can you elaborate on the strong performance of RPO and its geographic success? A: Sander Van 't Noordende, CEO, highlighted that the enterprise team has been successful in winning new clients, particularly in life sciences and with companies like Microsoft. The company is also improving productivity and fulfillment through its enterprise operating system and expanding delivery in India. Q: How do you plan to manage costs and protect margins amid potential economic downturns? A: Jorge Vazquez, CFO, emphasized the company's focus on aligning costs with gross profit and maintaining flexibility in its cost base. The company has achieved significant savings and is prepared to adjust its cost structure if necessary to protect profitability. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Randstad NV (RANJY) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Highlights: Navigating Revenue Declines with ...
Q4 Organic Revenue Decline: 5.5% decrease. Q4 Gross Margin: 18.8%. Q4 EBITDA: EUR 200 million. Q4 EBITDA Margin: 3.3%. Full Year 2024 Revenue: EUR 24.1 billion, 7% lower year over year. Full Year 2024 EBITDA: EUR 754 million. Full Year 2024 EBITDA Margin: 3.1%. Proposed Dividend: EUR 1.62 per share, totaling EUR 285 million. North America Revenue Decline: 7% sequentially. Northern Europe Revenue Decline: 7%. Southern Europe Revenue Growth: Spain grew 9%. Asia Pacific EBITDA Margin: 4.3%. Q4 Gross Margin Decline: 130 basis points year over year. Q4 Integration and One-off Expenses: EUR 79 million. Q4 Free Cash Flow: EUR 87 million. Full Year 2024 Leverage: 1.6 times. Effective Tax Rate: 35%, underlying rate 23.4%. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 2 Warning Sign with BOM:500463. Release Date: February 12, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Randstad NV (RANJY) achieved a gross margin of 18.8% in Q4, driven by a strategic business and service mix. The company delivered an EBITDA of EUR 200 million for Q4, with a margin of 3.3%, showcasing effective cost management. Randstad NV (RANJY) proposed a dividend of EUR 1.62 per share, reflecting confidence in its business and capital allocation policy. The implementation of the specialization framework across all markets is a key milestone, enhancing client understanding and competitive dynamics. The launch of over 45 specialized talent and delivery centers in 10 key markets resulted in a 20% increase in fulfillment in 2024. Randstad NV (RANJY) experienced a 5.5% decline in organic revenue in Q4 due to labor market challenges. The company's full-year 2024 revenues were EUR 24.1 billion, 7% lower year over year. The automotive sector continues to be under pressure, impacting growth in key regions like Germany and France. The EBITDA margin in Northern Europe was affected by restructuring efforts and challenging macroeconomic conditions. Randstad NV (RANJY) incurred EUR 79 million in integration and one-off expenses in Q4, impacting financial performance. Q: Can you provide an update on the competitive environment and pricing, and how these factors are impacting the gross margin? A: Jorge Vazquez, CFO: The competitive environment remains rational, and pricing is not a significant factor in the gross margin development. The impact on gross margin is primarily due to mix changes and some incidentals. We expect some reversal of these impacts in Q1, leading to a slight improvement in gross margins sequentially. Q: What should we expect regarding one-off costs in 2025, given the elevated levels in Q4? A: Jorge Vazquez, CFO: The one-off costs in Q4 were due to necessary restructuring to make Randstad leaner and more efficient. We expect these costs to normalize in 2025, as we have already taken significant actions to adjust to current market conditions. Q: Are you seeing real stabilization in market volumes, or is it more based on client discussions and forward visibility? A: Sander Van 't Noordende, CEO: The stabilization we are seeing is backed by real numbers. The labor market is currently "stuck," with low hiring levels and few layoffs. While there is optimism in the US, it has not yet translated into a material uptick. Overall, we see stabilization with some positive indicators. Q: How do you expect the gross margin to evolve in Q1, considering the impact of Zorgwerk and restructuring benefits? A: Jorge Vazquez, CFO: Zorgwerk is expected to add 10 to 15 basis points to the gross margin. Additionally, restructuring benefits should contribute another 10 basis points. We anticipate a modest sequential improvement in gross margin in Q1. Q: Can you quantify the impact of idle time and sickness on the gross margin, and is there a structural shift towards lower-cost channels like digital? A: Jorge Vazquez, CFO: The impact of idle time and sickness is volatile and difficult to quantify precisely. There is no structural shift towards lower-cost channels; our digital marketplace is integrated into our business and offers a better experience without necessitating lower pricing. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
