# Kelly Services, Inc. (KELYA)

> Source: Nexqual · https://nexqual.com/KELYA · data as of 2026-10-29 20:00 UTC · cite as "Nexqual, Kelly Services, Inc. (KELYA), nexqual.com/KELYA" · informational, not investment advice.

**Price:** USD 16.26 (-1.28% on the day) · last close of Oct 29, 2026; US market closed, not a live price. Prev close 16.47 · day 15.91–16.52 · 52w 7.98–17.75 · market cap $565M · NMS

## Key facts
- Last four reported quarters (through Jun 28, 2026): revenue $4.06B, net income -$273M (-6.7% margin), free cash flow $20.5M (SEC filings).
- Analysts: Buy (mean 2.00 on a 1–5 scale) (3 analysts), mean target USD 20 (range 19–21).
- Total return with dividends: 1Y +48.3% vs S&P 500 +14.8%; 5Y -0.8% vs S&P 500 +79.1%.
- Next earnings: 2026-11-05, EPS estimate USD 0.07, revenue estimate $926M. All companies reporting that day: https://nexqual.com/earnings/2026-11-05
- Dividend: USD 0.3 a year (yield 1.82%), paid quarterly; latest ex-dividend date 2026-08-19; annual dividends grew 2.9% a year 2022–2025.
- Short interest: 3.66% of float (as of 2026-10-15), 4.0 days to cover.

## Financials (SEC 10-K; TTM = last four 10-Q/10-K quarters)
| USD | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | TTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $4.91B | $4.97B | $4.84B | $4.33B | $4.25B | $4.06B |
| Gross profit | $919M | $1.01B | $961M | $883M | $853M | — |
| Operating income | $48.6M | $14.8M | $24.3M | -$15.1M | -$69.8M | -$91.8M |
| Net income | $156M | -$62.5M | $36.4M | -$600K | -$254M | -$273M |
| EPS (diluted) | $3.91 | -$1.64 | $0.98 | -$0.02 | -$7.24 | — |
| Free cash flow | $73.8M | -$88.3M | $61.4M | $15.8M | $114M | $20.5M |
| Gross margin | 18.7% | 20.4% | 19.9% | 20.4% | 20.1% | — |
| Operating margin | 1.0% | 0.3% | 0.5% | -0.3% | -1.6% | -2.3% |
| Net margin | 3.2% | -1.3% | 0.8% | 0.0% | -6.0% | -6.7% |
| Revenue growth | +8.7% | +1.1% | -2.6% | -10.4% | -1.9% | — |
| Cash + short-term investments | $113M | $154M | $126M | $39.0M | $33.0M | — |
| Total debt | — | — | $0K | $239M | $102M | — |
Fiscal years end Dec. EPS is split-adjusted.

## Valuation (price ÷ last four quarters, through Jun 28, 2026)
P/S 0.1x · EV/Sales 0.1x · P/FCF 27.5x · P/B 0.6x · FCF yield 3.63% · Earnings yield -48.41% · Dividend yield (paid, TTM) 1.95% · Net debt $53.9M · EV $619M
P/E at fiscal year-ends: Dec 2023 21.6x.

## Analysts
Consensus Buy (mean 2.00 on a 1–5 scale), 3 analysts; mean target USD 20 (low 19, high 21).
Rating changes, last 120 days:
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-10 | Barrington Research | Target raised | Outperform | $15 → $20 |

## Total return (dividends reinvested)
|  | 1Y (from 2025-10-30) | 5Y (from 2021-10-25) |
|---|---|---|
| Total return | +48.3% | -0.8% |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | +14.8% | +79.1% |
| Per year | +48.6% | -0.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 42.1% | 38.7% |
| Max drawdown | -28.7% (Oct 2025→Nov 2025) | -65.7% (Mar 2024→Nov 2025) |

## Dividends
Annual dividend rate USD 0.30 per share, yield 1.82% at the current price. Paid over the last 12 months: USD 0.30 in 4 payments (quarterly).
Most recent ex-dividend date: Aug 19, 2026; payment date: Sep 2, 2026. To receive a dividend, shares must be owned before the ex-dividend date.
Latest change: raised 50.0% to USD 0.075 per payment from USD 0.05, starting with the May 25, 2022 ex-dividend date.
Payout ratio 26% of earnings · 5-year average yield 1.42% · annual dividends grew 2.9% a year from 2022 to 2025.
| Ex-dividend date | Amount per share |
|---|---|
| 2026-08-19 | USD 0.075 |
| 2026-05-18 | USD 0.075 |
| 2026-02-25 | USD 0.075 |
| 2025-11-19 | USD 0.075 |
| 2025-08-20 | USD 0.075 |
| 2025-05-19 | USD 0.075 |
| 2025-02-26 | USD 0.075 |
| 2024-11-20 | USD 0.075 |
Total by calendar year: 2022 USD 0.275 · 2023 USD 0.30 · 2024 USD 0.30 · 2025 USD 0.30.

## Short interest
1,085,835 shares sold short, 3.66% of the float, as of Oct 15, 2026 (exchange short-interest report, published about twice a month). Prior report (Sep 15, 2026): 1,188,295 shares (-8.6%). Days to cover: 4.0 (short shares ÷ average daily volume).

## Peers (Staffing & Employment Services)
BBSI (Barrett Business Services, Inc.) USD 32.36 -0.25% · KFRC (Kforce, Inc.) USD 57.87 +1.40% · NSP (Insperity, Inc.) USD 46.29 -10.38% · MAN (ManpowerGroup) USD 45.49 -0.57% · TNET (TriNet Group, Inc.) USD 63.7 -9.53% · KFY (Korn Ferry) USD 75.92 +0.98%

## More
Full page: https://nexqual.com/KELYA · Free keyless MCP server with the same data and citations: https://mcp.nexqual.com/mcp · Guide for agents: https://nexqual.com/agents · https://nexqual.com/llms.txt

## Analyst estimates and revisions

| Period | EPS est. | 90d ago | Change | Revenue est. | Analysts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current quarter (ends 2026-09-30) | $0.07 | $0.10 | -31.6% | $925.9M | 4 |
| Next quarter (ends 2026-12-31) | $0.61 | $0.55 | +12.8% | $1.10B | 4 |
| Current fiscal year (ends 2026-12-31) | $1.09 | $0.90 | +21.3% | $4.10B | 4 |
| Next fiscal year (ends 2027-12-31) | $1.82 | $1.71 | +6.4% | $4.25B | 4 |

## Earnings history and stock reaction
| Results filed | Quarter | EPS | Consensus | Surprise | Stock reaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Quarter ended Jun 30, 2026 | $0.37 | $0.24 | Beat +54.2% | — |
| — | Quarter ended Mar 31, 2026 | $0.03 | $0.06 | Miss −50.0% | — |
| — | Quarter ended Dec 31, 2025 | $0.16 | $0.44 | Miss −63.6% | — |
| — | Quarter ended Sep 30, 2025 | $0.18 | $0.42 | Miss −57.1% | — |
EPS as reported against the analyst consensus before the release; surprise uses the cent-rounded figures shown (in dollars when EPS and consensus have opposite signs). Stock reaction = close before the results to close after (the first close following a release after the bell or before the open).