Kelly Services is a staffing company with a cheap forward P/E of 9.2x, strong price momentum and a dividend, but low quality, falling revenue, three misses in four quarters and a price just 1.3% below the analyst target leave little upside.
Thesis pillars
- Cheap Valuation Dividend→Stable
- Declining Revenue Low Quality→Stable
- Inconsistent Earnings Misses→Stable
- +2 more pillars — see the Why tab for full reasoning
Pillars as of Oct 24, 2026, based on the 10-K filed Feb 12, 2026
Kelly Services, Inc. (KELYA) Stock Analysis
Breakout setup · Inst Constrain edge
Industrials · Staffing & Employment Services
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $16.47: Quality below floor (1.9 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.4/10. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 9.00; Below-average business quality.
Kelly Services, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides workforce solutions to various industries in the Americas, Europe, Mexico, and the Asia-Pacific region. It operates in three segments: Enterprise Talent Management, Science, Engineering & Technology, and Education.... Read more
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $16.47: Quality below floor (1.9 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.4/10. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 9.00; Below-average business quality. Chart setup: Golden cross, above all MAs, RSI 54, MACD bullish. Score 4.4/10, moderate confidence.
Passes 6/9 gates (positive momentum, clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, news events none recent, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on favorable risk/reward ratio and earnings proximity 6d<=7d. Suitability: aggressive.
Recent developments
updated 2026-10-29Recent Developments — Kelly Services, Inc.
Latest news
- NEWS KellyOCG Named Top Provider of Total Workforce Solutions by HRO Today — fiscal.ai Oct 27, 2026 positive
- NEWS Kelly Services Announces Third-Quarter 2026 Earnings Release Date — fiscal.ai Oct 22, 2026
- NEWS Kelly Services Releases Survey on Substitute Teacher Recruitment and Retention — fiscal.ai Oct 21, 2026 neutral
- NEWS Kelly Services Reports Q2 2026 Results: Full Earnings Call Transcript — benzinga Oct 9, 2026 positive
- NEWS Barrington Research Maintains Outperform on Kelly Services, Raises Price Target to $20 — benzinga Aug 10, 2026 positive
Generated 2026-10-29T11:48:40Z.
Upcoming dated catalysts
Thesis
Key Metrics
Quality Signals
Options Flow
Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)
- LOWCustomertop 10 customers24%10-K Item 1: 'In 2025, an estimated 55% of total company revenue was attributed to our largest 100 customers and 24% was attributed to our largest 10 customers.'
- LOWCustomerlargest single customer6.0%10-K Item 1: 'Our largest single customer accounted for approximately six percent of total revenue in 2025.'
Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. How we score · Editorial policy
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Rating Breakdown
4 floor-breakers
Revenue shrinking — -5.8% YoY. Growth thesis broken unless recovery story develops.static
Unprofitable operations — net margin -6.7%. Quality floor flags this regardless of sector context.static
Ranks in the bottom of its industry peers on the composite signal. Better names in the same sector exist.static
No near-term catalyst priced in. Thesis progression will come from fundamentals grinding, not event reaction.static
Price Targets
Position Sizing
Risk Alerts
Earnings
Verdict History
Frequently Asked Questions
Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $16.47: Quality below floor (1.9 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.4/10. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 9.00; Below-average business quality. Chart setup: Golden cross, above all MAs, RSI 54, MACD bullish. Prior stop was $15.35. Score 4.4/10, moderate confidence.
Analyst target: $17.00 (+3.2% upside). Prior stop was $15.35. Stop-loss: $15.35.
Quality below floor (1.9 < 4.0).
Kelly Services, Inc. trades at a P/E of N/A (forward 9.0). TrendMatrix value score: 7.9/10. Verdict: Sell.
11 analysts cover KELYA with a consensus score of 4.2/5. Average price target: $20.
What does Kelly Services, Inc. do?Kelly Services, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides workforce solutions to various industries in the...
Kelly Services, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides workforce solutions to various industries in the Americas, Europe, Mexico, and the Asia-Pacific region. It operates in three segments: Enterprise Talent Management, Science, Engineering & Technology, and Education. The Enterprise Talent Management segment delivers temporary staffing, outcome-based, and permanent placement services providing administrative, accounting, and finance; light industrial; contact center staffing; and other workforce solutions. This segment also delivers talent solutions, including managed service provider, payroll process outsourcing, recruitment process outsourcing solutions, and executive coaching programs to customers on a global basis that includes its RocketPower and Sevenstep brands. The Science, Engineering & Technology segment offers temporary staffing, outcome-based, and permanent placement services in the areas of science and clinical research, engineering, technology, and telecommunications specialties. The Education segment provides staffing, permanent placement, and executive search services to pre-K-12 school districts and education organizations. It also offers Kelly Digital Infrastructure, providing digital infrastructure services, such as design and planning, build and deployment, operations and optimization, and workforce development and consulting. Kelly Services, Inc. was founded in 1946 and is headquartered in Troy, Michigan.