Kelly Services (NASDAQ:KELYA) Stock Price Passes Above 200-Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Kelly Services crossed above its 200‑day moving average — the 200‑day MA is $9.57 and the stock traded as high as $9.86, last at $9.77 on volume of 295,025 shares.
• Analyst views are mixed with a MarketBeat consensus of "Hold" and a $15 price target (two Buys, one Hold, one Sell) after recent upgrades and downgrades.
• Insiders recently bought shares (CEO purchased 10,100 at $8.80; a director bought 10,000 at $9.43), and the company pays a $0.30 annualized dividend (3.1% yield) while reporting a negative P/E and recent EPS miss.

Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:KELYA - Get Free Report) shares crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $9.57 and traded as high as $9.86. Kelly Services shares last traded at $9.77, with a volume of 295,025 shares.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on KELYA. Barrington Research dropped their price objective on Kelly Services from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 13th. Zacks Research raised shares of Kelly Services from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Kelly Services in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Kelly Services from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Sunday, February 22nd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $15.00.

Kelly Services Trading Down 1.1%

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 1.54 and a quick ratio of 1.54. The company has a market capitalization of $334.23 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 0.80. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $9.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.57.

Kelly Services (NASDAQ:KELYA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 12th. The business services provider reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.45 by ($0.29). The company had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.03 billion. Kelly Services had a negative net margin of 5.98% and a positive return on equity of 4.05%. On average, equities analysts expect that Kelly Services, Inc. will post 1.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Kelly Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th were given a $0.075 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 25th. This represents a $0.30 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. Kelly Services's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently -4.13%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Kelly Services

In other Kelly Services news, CEO Christopher D. Layden acquired 10,100 shares of Kelly Services stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 24th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $8.80 per share, with a total value of $88,880.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 382,513 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,366,114.40. The trade was a 2.71% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director James Christopher Hunt purchased 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $9.43 per share, with a total value of $94,300.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 25,976 shares in the company, valued at $244,953.68. The trade was a 62.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders purchased 35,200 shares of company stock valued at $327,137. 5.40% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Kelly Services

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Kelly Services by 1,328.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 412,211 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $5,408,000 after acquiring an additional 383,357 shares during the period. JB Capital Partners LP bought a new stake in Kelly Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $1,541,000. Verus Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in Kelly Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $754,000. Bfsg LLC raised its holdings in Kelly Services by 50.5% in the fourth quarter. Bfsg LLC now owns 8,920 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 2,995 shares during the period. Finally, Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Kelly Services during the fourth quarter worth $246,000. 76.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Kelly Services Company Profile

Kelly Services, Inc is a global workforce solutions provider specializing in talent acquisition and staffing services across a wide range of industries. The company offers temporary staffing, permanent placement, outsourcing solutions, and consulting services to help organizations address their workforce needs. Its service offerings are designed to support clients in areas such as administrative support, information technology, engineering, science, education, healthcare, and industrial sectors.

Founded in 1946 by William Russell Kelly, Kelly Services has grown from a small local staffing firm into an international organization.

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