Recruit Holdings stock reports stronger Q1 profit growth

Published on 10/04/2026 at 10:17 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Recruit stock traded at JPY 16,685 on October 2, 2026, down 0.42 percent from the prior close. Q1 revenue rose 18.9 percent and basic EPS rose 73.2 percent year over year.

Recruit, JP3970300004, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Recruit Holdings stock (ISIN JP3970300004) was last at JPY 16,685 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on October 2, 2026 at 3:30 p.m. JST, down 0.42 percent from the prior close of JPY 16,755. The immediate corporate signal is a September buyback update that reinforces capital returns before the next quarterly report.

September buyback adds support

According to Recruit Holdings on October 1, 2026, the company repurchased 2,702,500 shares for JPY 43.2 billion during September.

The program allows purchases of up to 64.0 million shares and JPY 350.0 billion through November 30, 2026. By September 30, Recruit had used 25.56 percent of the share limit and 50.76 percent of the spending limit, giving the buyback a measurable role in the near-term equity story.

Q1 earnings reset expectations

For the quarter ended June 30, 2026, revenue increased 18.9 percent year over year to JPY 1.04 trillion, while basic EPS rose 73.2 percent to JPY 145.48, according to Eulerpool in its Q1 FY2027 transcript published on September 22, 2026.

Recruit raised full-year revenue guidance to JPY 4.23 trillion from JPY 4.03 trillion, a 14.4 percent year-over-year increase. The next reporting checkpoint is November 11, 2026, when Recruit's investor-relations calendar schedules Q2 FY2026 results, according to Recruit Holdings.

Analyst target exceeds market price

Goldman Sachs reiterated its Buy rating and lifted its 12-month price target from JPY 14,900 to JPY 19,400 on September 9, 2026, as reported by Finvaulta. The new target lies 16.3 percent above the October 2 price, while the stock remained JPY 1,530 below its 52-week high of JPY 18,215.

Recruit stock trades below yearly high

Recruit stock carried a JPY 6,040 to JPY 18,215 52-week range on October 2, 2026, with volume of 3,204,100 shares and market capitalization of JPY 23.3 trillion. The combination of faster Q1 earnings growth, a larger buyback and a higher analyst target leaves the November report as the next quantified test of the investment case.