Richard Sloan from the University of Michigan was first to document what is referred to as the "accrual anomaly". His 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones.
As of Sep. 2025, Heidrick & Struggles International has a Sloan Ratio of -5.31%, indicating the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
Heidrick & Struggles International (NAS:HSII) Sloan Ratio % Explanation
A former University of Michigan researcher, Richard Sloan's 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones. In fact, for the 40-year period between 1962 and 2001, buying the lowest accrual companies and shorting the highest accrual companies resulted in an average annual compounded return of 18%, more than double the S&P 500's 7.4% annual return over the same period.
If the Sloan Ratio is between -10% and 10%, the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than between -25% and -10% on the negative side, and between 10% and 25% on the positive side, this is a warning stage of accrual build up.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than -25% or greater than 25%, and this ratio is consistent over several quarters or even years, be careful. Earnings are highly likely to be made up of accruals.
As of Sep. 2025, Heidrick & Struggles International has a Sloan Ratio of -5.31%, indicating the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
Heidrick & Struggles International Sloan Ratio % Related Terms
Heidrick & Struggles International Sloan Ratio % Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Heidrick & Struggles International Sloan Ratio % Chart
For the Staffing & Employment Services subindustry, Heidrick & Struggles International's Sloan Ratio %, along with its competitors' market caps and Sloan Ratio % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Heidrick & Struggles International Sloan Ratio % vs Business Services Industry
For the Business Services industry and Industrials sector, Heidrick & Struggles International's Sloan Ratio % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Heidrick & Struggles International's Sloan Ratio % falls into.
Heidrick & Struggles International Sloan Ratio % Calculation
Earnings contain a lot of non cash earnings which is called accruals. The Sloan ratio is a way to identify firms with low non-cash or accrual-derived earnings relative to their cash flow.
Heidrick & Struggles International's Net Income for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Sep. 2025 was -14.976 (Dec. 2024 ) + 13.306 (Mar. 2025 ) + 21.073 (Jun. 2025 ) + 17.646 (Sep. 2025 ) = $37 Mil.
Heidrick & Struggles International's Cash Flow from Operations for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Sep. 2025 was 176.793 (Dec. 2024 ) + -232.224 (Mar. 2025 ) + 68.61 (Jun. 2025 ) + 134.679 (Sep. 2025 ) = $148 Mil.
Heidrick & Struggles International's Cash Flow from Investing for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Sep. 2025 was -5.039 (Dec. 2024 ) + -73.128 (Mar. 2025 ) + -77.287 (Jun. 2025 ) + 111.818 (Sep. 2025 ) = $-44 Mil.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Heidrick & Struggles International (HSII) has a Sloan Ratio % of -5.31% as of Sep. 2025. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on Heidrick & Struggles International and its competitors.
Is Heidrick & Struggles International's Sloan Ratio % too high?
Heidrick & Struggles International's current Sloan Ratio % is -5.31%. Overall, Heidrick & Struggles International has a GF Score™ of 65/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Heidrick & Struggles International's Sloan Ratio % compare to MAN and NSP?
Heidrick & Struggles International's Sloan Ratio % of -5.31% can be compared against companies in the Business Services industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Sloan Ratio % for a Business Services company?
A good Sloan Ratio % depends on the Business Services industry context. However, Sloan Ratio % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Sloan Ratio % mean?
A high Sloan Ratio % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Sloan ratio measures earnings quality based on the amount of accruals. View historical data on Heidrick & Struggles International and its competitors. Heidrick & Struggles International's current Sloan Ratio % is -5.31%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Heidrick & Struggles International stock overvalued right now?
Heidrick & Struggles International (HSII) has a current Sloan Ratio % of -5.31%. The stock's GF Value™ is $37.59, compared to a current price of $59.01 — trading 57% above its estimated fair value. The current Sloan Ratio % is -5.31%. Heidrick & Struggles International's overall GF Score™ is 65/100 with 8 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Sloan Ratio % calculated?
Sloan Ratio % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Heidrick & Struggles International (HSII), the current Sloan Ratio % is -5.31% as of Sep. 2025. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Heidrick & Struggles International (HSII) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Heidrick & Struggles International stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $59.01 is trading 57% above its estimated GF Value™ of $37.59.
Key valuation signals for HSII:
Sloan Ratio %: -5.31%
GF Value™: $37.59 vs. price of $59.01 (57% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the HSII stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Heidrick & Struggles International Business Description
Heidrick & Struggles International Inc is a leadership advisory firm providing executive search and consulting services to businesses and business leaders world wide. The company's operating segments include the executive search business which operates in the Americas; Europe; Asia Pacific and On-Demand Talent and Heidrick Consulting. It generates maximum revenue from the Americas.
65GF Score
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