OLD GREENWICH, Conn., Sept. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hudson Global, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSON; HSONP) announced today that it will change its corporate name to Star Equity Holdings, Inc. (“Star” or the “Company”), effective as of 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on September 5, 2025. At the same time, the ticker symbols for its Common Stock and 10% Series A Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (“Preferred Stock”) will change to STRR and STRRP, respectively, on NASDAQ. This name change follows the previously announced A ...

CHICAGO, Aug. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Professional Diversity Network, Inc. (NASDAQ: IPDN) (“PDN” or the “Company”), a global developer and operator of online networks that provides access to networking, training, and employment opportunities for diverse professionals, today announced it has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with OOKC Group, a Dubai-based financial technology enterprise. Together, the parties intend to develop the world’s first compliance-driven Web3.0 digital inves ...

Summary of DHI Group (DHX) Conference Call - August 20, 2025 Company Overview - **Company Name**: DHI Group - **Ticker Symbol**: DHX - **Headquarters**: Denver, Colorado - **Business Model**: DHI Group operates two tech-oriented recruiting platforms, ClearanceJobs and Dice, which connect recruiters with tech candidates [3][4] Industry Insights - **Market Position**: DHI Group's platforms are essential for recruiters seeking technology professionals, differentiating themselves from competitors like Indeed and ZipRecruiter through specialized search algorithms and a large database of tech professionals [4][5] - **Tech Workforce Growth**: The U.S. tech workforce has grown approximately 3% annually over the past 25 years, with a projected growth of at least 18% over the next decade, which is double the overall employment growth rate [8][11] Financial Performance - **2024 Financials**: - Revenue: $142 million - Bookings: $141 million - Adjusted EBITDA: $35 million (25% margin) - Operating Cash Flow: $21 million - Capital Expenditures: $14 million [6][7] - **Recurring Revenue**: Over 90% of revenue is recurring due to subscription contracts, with a significant portion of revenue already under contract at the start of each year [16][18] - **Debt Management**: Ended 2024 with net debt of $28 million, equating to less than one times leverage [7][22] Business Segments - **ClearanceJobs**: - Revenue: $54 million in 2024 - Client Base: 1,900 clients, with a five-year CAGR of 15% in bookings [23][24] - Adjusted EBITDA Margin: Above 40% [25] - **Dice**: - Revenue: $88 million in 2024 - Client Base: 4,400 subscription clients, with a five-year CAGR of 2% in bookings [25][26] - Adjusted EBITDA Margin: Approximately 20% [27] Market Challenges and Opportunities - **Hiring Demand**: The elevated interest rate environment has suppressed hiring demand, but the tech industry is expected to recover, with ClearanceJobs projected to achieve double-digit growth soon [11][32] - **AI Integration**: AI is seen as an opportunity, with nearly 40% of jobs on Dice requiring AI skills, up from 10% the previous year [30][42] - **Client Retention**: Dice's renewal rate has faced challenges due to client losses, but ClearanceJobs has maintained a strong retention rate [36][38] Strategic Initiatives - **Acquisition of Agile ATS**: This acquisition enhances ClearanceJobs' offerings by integrating an applicant tracking system specifically designed for hiring security-cleared individuals, valued at $2 million [46][47] - **Cost Management**: Restructuring efforts have reduced operating costs by approximately $35 million, with a target adjusted EBITDA margin of 26% for 2025 [19][20] Future Outlook - **Growth Projections**: DHI Group anticipates returning to growth by mid-2026, driven by improvements in the tech hiring market and the performance of ClearanceJobs [32][33] - **Acquisition Pipeline**: The company is actively seeking tuck-in acquisitions to expand ClearanceJobs' footprint in the recruiting space [48] Additional Insights - **Client Pricing Trends**: There is potential for increased pricing on ClearanceJobs due to a lack of viable competitors, while Dice faces more macroeconomic pricing challenges [39][41] - **Candidate Availability**: The number of candidates remains steady, with 6 to 8 million candidates actively engaging on the platforms [34] This summary encapsulates the key points discussed during the DHI Group conference call, highlighting the company's position in the tech recruiting industry, financial performance, market challenges, and strategic initiatives for future growth.

Group 1 - Central and Eastern European assets lead emerging markets following a meeting between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and European leaders, indicating progress in peace negotiations [1] - The Hungarian Forint and Polish Zloty saw significant appreciation, with the Forint reaching an 11-month high against the Euro [1] - Ukrainian dollar bonds are leading the emerging market gains, with the price of Ukraine's zero-coupon dollar bonds maturing in 2036 rising for the fifth consecutive day, reaching the highest level since late March [1][2] Group 2 - Ferrexpo, a high-grade iron ore exporter listed in London, saw its stock price increase by over 10% following the Washington meeting [4] - Grupa Pracuj, a Polish recruitment company, experienced a stock price rise of over 3% in Warsaw [4]

Financial Performance - Q2 2025 - Revenue decreased slightly by 0.5% to $35.5 million compared to $35.7 million in Q2 2024[5] - Adjusted net revenue increased by 5.8% to $18.6 million from $17.6 million in Q2 2024[5] - SG&A expenses increased by 2.7% to $17.3 million compared to $16.9 million in Q2 2024[5] - Adjusted EBITDA increased significantly by 76.6% to $1.3 million from $0.7 million in Q2 2024[5] - Net loss increased by 56.3% to $(0.7) million from $(0.4) million in Q2 2024[5] Financial Performance - YTD Q2 2025 - Revenue decreased by 3.2% to $67.4 million compared to $69.6 million in YTD Q2 2024[8] - Adjusted net revenue increased by 3.2% to $35.0 million from $33.9 million in YTD Q2 2024[8] - SG&A expenses decreased by 1.0% to $34.4 million compared to $34.7 million in YTD Q2 2024[8] - Adjusted EBITDA increased significantly by 181.4% to $0.6 million from $(0.8) million in YTD Q2 2024[8] - Net loss decreased by 26.8% to $(2.4) million from $(3.3) million in YTD Q2 2024[8] Regional Performance - Q2 2025 - Americas revenue increased by 2.4% to $7.1 million[11] - Asia Pacific revenue decreased by 4.8% to $21.6 million, but adjusted net revenue increased by 15.9% to $8.8 million[14] - EMEA revenue increased by 12.2% to $6.8 million, but adjusted net revenue decreased by 4.0% to $3.5 million[17]

Financial Performance - H1 net fee income increased by 0.1% year-on-year on a constant currency like-for-like basis[10] - Q2 net fee income grew by 2.0% year-on-year (CC LFL), offsetting a 1.9% reduction in Q1 (CC LFL)[10] - Adjusted operating profit increased by 55% (CC LFL), with a reported increase of 70% to £1.7 million[10] - Reported net fee income decreased by 8% to £23.4 million, reflecting 2024 exits and FX movements[10] - Net debt increased to £16.1 million, up from £15.3 million at the end of 2024, driven by foreign exchange movements[10] Regional Performance - US net fee income increased by 38% (CC LFL)[10] - Offshore Services net fee income increased by 11% (CC LFL)[10] - UK net fee income decreased by 9%[10] Core vs Non-Core Operations - Adjusted operating profit for core operations increased by 86%[14] - Adjusted operating profit for non-core operations decreased by 32%[14] Strategic Initiatives - Prioritized investment in the US and UK, including sales training[11] - Brand transformation is on track for end-of-year launch[11] - Progressing well with non-core asset divestment, with active processes and discussions[11]

Core Viewpoint - The traditional recruitment model is inefficient and unable to meet the diverse employment needs of today, necessitating a comprehensive optimization of the recruitment process [1][2]. Group 1: Industry Challenges - There is a structural contradiction in the job market where companies struggle to find suitable talent while many skilled individuals cannot find desirable job positions [1]. - HR professionals spend an average of 4 hours daily processing talent information and need to sift through 1,000 resumes to find one suitable candidate [2]. Group 2: Technological Innovations - The founder of Zhilie Technology, Peng Jiangjian, has invested 30 million to develop an AI Agent for the recruitment industry, marking a significant innovation in the field [2]. - The newly launched L4-level AI recruitment process integrates multi-modal perception, intelligent decision-making, and automation, streamlining the entire recruitment workflow [3]. Group 3: Product Features - The AI Agent can automatically generate job profiles and quickly evaluate resumes based on HR's input standards, significantly enhancing recruitment efficiency [3]. - The "AI Interviewer" product generates evaluation reports based on 521 algorithmic dimensions, ensuring objective assessments of candidates and improving the overall interview experience [3]. Group 4: Future Outlook - The year 2025 is anticipated to be a pivotal year for the commercialization of AI Agents, with a shift from "information-based" to "intelligent" recruitment processes [4]. - The integration of AI technology in recruitment is expected to accelerate, transitioning from a "human-machine collaboration" model to an "intelligent co-governance" paradigm, enhancing efficiency and precision in hiring [4].

Core Insights - The traditional recruitment process relies on keyword matching, which is inefficient, while AI Agents utilize large models to understand requirements and actively screen candidates, optimizing resume evaluation and interview processes [1][5] - The recruitment industry is currently stuck in a "keyword + label" matching phase, but the rapid development of AI technology and large models is expected to transform the industry, with 2025 being identified as the year of commercial AI Agent deployment [2][4] Group 1: AI Agent's Impact on Recruitment - AI Agents are expected to revolutionize the recruitment process by shifting from manual resume screening to automated candidate matching, significantly reducing the workload of HR professionals and improving efficiency and accuracy [5][8] - The application of AI Agents in recruitment will enable dynamic generation of talent demand profiles based on unstructured data analysis, moving away from reliance on traditional resume keywords [4][7] - AI Agents will facilitate a "human-machine collaboration" model, where AI actively matches candidates to job openings, akin to how ride-hailing apps match drivers and passengers [4][8] Group 2: Technological Advancements and Market Trends - The AI Agent technology is evolving with a clear technical roadmap, combining foundational large models with various tools and supporting infrastructure, which is crucial for enhancing Agent capabilities [9] - The commercial landscape is diversifying, with large companies, startups, and SaaS providers exploring different paths for AI Agent deployment, focusing on general applicability for consumers and scenario-specific solutions for businesses [9] - Analysts predict that the penetration of AI technology in the recruitment process will accelerate, transitioning from a "human-machine collaboration" model to a "smart co-governance" paradigm, leading to a more efficient and precise recruitment industry [8][9]

Group 1 - Anthropic, a competitor to OpenAI, is in the early stages of a new funding round that could push its valuation above $100 billion [1] - Heva AI launched its AI 2.0 solution in Shanghai, introducing nine agents to address pain points in the recruitment industry, emphasizing the need for ecological collaboration and data value [1] - Netflix has utilized generative AI for visual effects in its original series "Eternal Voyager," achieving a production speed ten times faster than traditional methods, highlighting AI as a significant opportunity for creators [1] Group 2 - Elon Musk's Neuralink has registered as a "small disadvantaged business" to prioritize government contracts, with a recent funding round valuing the company at $9 billion [1]

Core Insights - KellyOCG + Sevenstep received the Morton Long-Term Partnership Award at the 2025 TIARA Talent Solutions Awards for their successful collaboration with a Fortune 10 global healthcare enterprise [1][2][3] Group 1: Award Recognition - The TIARA Talent Awards celebrate excellence in recruitment process outsourcing (RPO) and managed service provider (MSP) sectors, with the Morton Long-Term Partnership Award recognizing relationships demonstrating sustained success over at least five years [2] - KellyOCG + Sevenstep's collaboration with their client was highlighted for scaling annual hires while managing significant organizational changes with agility and empathy [3] Group 2: Client Relationship and Achievements - The six-year RPO relationship with the healthcare enterprise has been pivotal in navigating various hiring challenges, including a rapid shift to remote work and a significant hiring volume decrease of 80% within two weeks, followed by a hiring rebound that required expanding the RPO team from 35 to 105 in one quarter [4] - Currently, KellyOCG + Sevenstep supports the healthcare client across 25 business segments and three brands, managing approximately 10,000 hires annually [5] Group 3: Value Proposition - The recognition reflects the value of trusting relationships built by KellyOCG + Sevenstep, emphasizing consultative problem-solving and a shared commitment to client success [6] - The ability to adapt to the human and technological demands of rapid team changes is crucial for employers seeking effective talent solutions [6]