Kelly Services Inc (NASDAQ: KELYA)

Sector: Industrials Industry: Staffing & Employment Services CIK: 0000055135
Market Cap 328.15 Mn
P/B 0.34
P/E -1.29
P/S 0.08
ROIC (Qtr) -284.81
Div Yield % 3.21
Rev 1y % (Qtr) -11.91
Total Debt (Qtr) 159.10 Mn
Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.16
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About

Kelly Services Inc., a company known by its stock symbol KELYA, operates in the talent solutions industry. It is divided into five business units: Kelly Professional & Industrial, Kelly Science, Engineering & Technology, Kelly Education, Kelly Outsourcing & Consulting Group, and Kelly International. These units provide a range of services, including staffing, outcome-based, and permanent placement services to clients across various industries. Kelly Services generates revenue through a variety of primary products and services. These include administrative,...

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Investment thesis

Bull case

  • Strong operating cash flow of 122.60M provides robust 0.77x coverage of total debt 159.10M, indicating excellent debt servicing capability and financial flexibility.
  • Healthy cash reserves of 33M provide 2.68x coverage of short-term debt 12.30M, demonstrating strong liquidity position and minimal refinancing risk.
  • Strong tangible asset base of 1.82B provides 11.45x coverage of total debt 159.10M, indicating robust asset backing and low credit risk.
  • Robust free cash flow of 115.10M exceeds capital expenditure of 7.50M by 15.35x, indicating strong organic growth funding capability.
  • Retained earnings of 965.10M provide full 6.57x coverage of long-term debt 146.80M, indicating strong internal capital position.

Bear case

  • Operating cash flow of 122.60M provides thin coverage of dividend payments of (11M) with a -11.15 ratio, suggesting potential dividend sustainability issues if operational performance deteriorates.
  • Cash reserves of 33M provide limited coverage of acquisition spending of 28.20M, which is 1.17x, suggesting aggressive expansion might strain liquidity if market conditions deteriorate.
  • Operating earnings of (78.80M) show weak coverage of depreciation charges of 53.30M, with a -1.48 ratio indicating high capital intensity and potential reinvestment needs.
  • Operating cash flow of 122.60M provides minimal 0.70x coverage of tax expenses of 175.30M, suggesting potential tax planning inefficiencies or unsustainable tax positions.
  • Free cash flow of 115.10M represents just -0.84x of debt issuance (137.50M), suggesting concerning reliance on leverage rather than internal cash generation for growth.

Segments Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Segments Breakdown of Revenue (2025)

Peer comparison

Companies in the Staffing & Employment Services
S.No. Ticker Company Market Cap P/E P/S Total Debt (Qtr)
1 TNET Trinet Group, Inc. 2.92 Bn 13.22 0.86 0.94 Bn
2 KFY Korn Ferry 2.76 Bn 66.66 3.91 0.55 Bn
3 RHI Robert Half Inc. 2.48 Bn 18.65 0.46 0.25 Bn
4 MAN ManpowerGroup Inc. 1.76 Bn 3.55 0.08 1.64 Bn
5 KFRC Kforce Inc 1.11 Bn -12.63 1.14 0.07 Bn
6 BBSI Barrett Business Services Inc 0.94 Bn 17.65 1.01 0.03 Bn
7 NSP Insperity, Inc. 0.92 Bn -131.16 0.13 0.44 Bn
8 KELYA Kelly Services Inc 0.33 Bn -1.29 0.08 0.16 Bn

Industry comparisons

Current Valuation Value Ind Avg Percentile
EV to Assets EV to Assets 0.21 0.72
EV to Cash from Ops. EV/CFO 3.88 13.34
EV to Debt EV to Debt 2.99 16.96
EV to EBIT EV/EBIT -6.03 6.77
EV to EBITDA EV/EBITDA -28.82 5.70
EV to Free Cash Flow [EV/FCF] EV/FCF 4.13 27.09
EV to Market Cap EV to Market Cap 1.45 0.88
EV to Revenue EV/Rev 0.11 0.75
Price to Book Value [P/B] P/B 0.34 2.96
Price to Earnings [P/E] P/E -1.29 -37.77
Dividend Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Dividend Coverage Ratio Div Coverage (Qtr) -23.10 -0.44
Dividend Payout Ratio % Div Payout % (Qtr) -4.10 -81.87
Dividend per Basic Share Div per Share (Qtr) 0.30 0.84
FCF Dividend Payout Ratio % FCF Div Payout % (Qtr) 9.15 115.87
Interest Coverage Interest Coverage 0.00 -11.60
Growth Metrics Value Ind Avg Percentile
Capex Growth (1y) % Capex 1y % (Qtr) -10.29 24.71
Cash and Equivalents Growth (1y) % Cash & Equiv 1y % (Qtr) -15.38 155.53
Dividend Growth (1y) % Div 1y % (Qtr) 0.00 35.43
EBIAT Growth (1y) % EBIAT 1y % (Qtr) -42,250.00 -2,529.64
EBITDA Growth (1y) % EBITDA 1y % (Qtr) -146.09 -29.98
EBIT Growth (1y) % EBIT 1y % (Qtr) -259.82 -51.52
EBT Growth (1y) % EBT 1y % (Qtr) -259.82 -79.33
EPS Growth (1y) % EPS 1y % (Qtr) -36,100.00 -2,182.39
FCF Growth (1y) % FCF 1y % (Qtr) 472.64 229.47
Gross Profit Growth (1y) % Gross Profit 1y % (Qtr) -3.35 12.54
Liquidity Ratios Value Ind Avg Percentile
Asset Utilization Ratio Asset Util Ratio (Qtr) 1.89 1.87
Cash Payout Ratio Cash Payout (Qtr) 0.08 0.36
Cash Ratio Cash Ratio (Qtr) 0.04 0.80
Current Ratio Curr Ratio (Qtr) 1.54 1.85
Debt to Equity Ratio Debt/Equity (Qtr) 0.16 1.53
Interest Cover Ratio Interest Cover Ratio 0.00 -11.60
Times Interest Earned Times Interest Earned 0.00 -11.60
Profitability Value Ind Avg Percentile
EBITDA Margin % EBITDA Margin % (Qtr) -0.60 -8.99
EBIT Margin % EBIT Margin % (Qtr) -1.85 -51.06
EBT Margin % EBT Margin % (Qtr) -1.85 -11.99
Gross Margin % Gross Margin % (Qtr) 20.10 33.35
Net Profit Margin % Net Margin % (Qtr) -6.00 -13.87