Kelly Services, Inc. (KELYA)
NASDAQIndustrialsStaffing & Employment ServicesSnapshot 2026-09-04
$16.86+0.90%
Close 2026-09-04 · 1-day change
NASDAQIndustrialsStaffing & Employment ServicesSnapshot 2026-09-04
QuarterlyIQ Insights · KELYA
What must go right, what could break, what the price assumes, and what evidence comes next.
The current health of the standing investment case.
Recent financial performance sits below its industry cohort — worth keeping an eye on, though it has not freshly broken.
One-year growth currently built into the price, compared with our model's estimate.
| Measure | Marker shape | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Growth built into the price | circle | -24.8% |
| Our one-year growth estimate | diamond | 4.8% |
Growth built into the price is above our model estimate.
The price assumes 29.6 percentage points less one-year growth.
The one-year revenue growth assumption on Valuation.
For each item: what to watch, what would become a concern, and what would make it less concerning.
A reporting-risk estimate, not a forecast of the stock-price response.
Model as of 2026-09-04 · Compared with 11 industry peers · Company calendar date is not available
KELYA — earnings miss
Dated 2026-05-07
Results of Operations and Financial Condition Kelly Services, Inc. (the “Company”) today released financial information containing highlighted financial data for the three months ended March 29, 2026. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.
Why it matters: Higher earnings per share mean better profits. This shows the company is running well.
Supportive ifAdjusted earnings per share is above $0.30 in Q3.
Worry ifAdjusted earnings per share is below $0.30 in Q3.
Why it matters: This margin shows that management believes in better operations. It means costs are managed well.
Supportive ifAdjusted EBITDA margin is about 4% in Q4.
Worry ifAdjusted EBITDA margin stays below 3% in Q4.
Why it matters: Regular dividends show that a company is stable. They also show trust in future cash.
Supportive ifAnother dividend of $0.075 per share declared in Q3.
Worry ifNo dividend declared in Q3.
Why it matters: Improvement in this segment would indicate recovery in a key area. It could signal overall business health.
Supportive ifEducation segment revenue improved from last year in Q3.
Worry ifEducation segment revenue keeps falling from last year in Q3.
Why it matters: Growth in this segment is key for overall revenue recovery. It shows strong demand.
Supportive ifETM segment revenue shows sequential growth in Q3.
Worry ifETM segment revenue falls in Q3.
Why it matters: Ongoing drops in Education revenue may show bigger problems in this area. This affects overall results.
Worry ifRevenue in the education segment is down. This is due to delayed contracts and fewer enrollments.
Less concerning ifEducation segment revenue stays the same or increases.
Why it matters: This margin shows Kelly is making more money. It means costs are managed well.
Supportive ifAdjusted EBITDA margin reaches at least 2.5% in Q3.
Worry ifAdjusted EBITDA margin falls below 2.5% in Q3.
Why it matters: Earnings results show how well the company is doing. They also show how well management is working.
Watch forEarnings report shows a profit or does better than expected.
Also watch forEarnings report shows a loss or does worse than expected.
Why it matters: Organic growth is crucial for long-term stability. It will show if the company can recover from recent declines.
Supportive ifManagement reports organic revenue growth in the second half of 2026.
Worry ifNo organic revenue growth was reported in H2 2026. This shows continued struggles.
Why it matters: If industrial sector revenue growth picks up, it could benefit Kelly Services. This is important for overall performance.
Supportive ifRevenue growth in the industrial sector is speeding up toward its highs.
Worry ifRevenue growth is slowing down, which is a long-term problem for the sector.
Why it matters: Another earnings miss could show bigger problems in the business. This may hurt investor trust.
Worry ifEarnings report shows results meet or beat what analysts expected.
Less concerning ifAnother earnings miss shows ongoing problems.
Why it matters: A smaller revenue decline would show that Kelly is stabilizing its business. This could boost investor confidence.
Supportive ifQ3 revenue decline improves to less than -2% year over year.
Worry ifQ3 revenue decline remains worse than -2% year over year.
Why it matters: This growth shows a strong recovery and trust in the business plan.
Supportive ifQ4 revenue grew by mid-to-upper single digits compared to last year.
Worry ifQ4 revenue growth was below mid-single digits compared to last year.
We watch for confirming and disproving signals on each item. Resolutions are found automatically where possible and checked by hand for unclear cases. Last 90 days shown.
Historical relationships that met the evidence threshold. They do not prove cause or forecast a move.
Usually moved in the same direction.
Price observations: 365 days
Most sensitive to the broad stock market.
Based on historical daily prices through 2026-09-04.
Past price behavior in dollars on a $10,000 position. This does not measure permanent business risk.
How much price usually moves either way.
A larger daily loss that occurred about once in every 20 trading days.
Deepest peak-to-trough drop in the last year.
| Measure | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Typical day | ±$142 on $10,000 · ±1.4% | How much price usually moves either way. |
| Bad day | $386 loss on $10,000 · 3.9% | A larger daily loss that occurred about once in every 20 trading days. |
| Largest peak-to-trough drop in the past year | $4,315 loss on $10,000 · 43.1% | Deepest peak-to-trough drop in the last year. |
Past year. 1.00 means similar movement; 1.20 means about 20% more.
Past year. 1.00 means similar movement to the sector. This is secondary context.
Latest 30 trading days, shown as an annual percentage.
Latest 252 trading days, shown as an annual percentage.
20-trading-day average in US dollars.
Trading days used by the source risk snapshot.
Past results, not a forecast. Not investment advice.
Use the underlying financial and sector pages to investigate the cause.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.