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Kelly ServicesKELYB 66 Debt-to-EBITDA is 4.79 as of Mar. 2026, which is 4255% above its 10-year median of 0.11. GuruFocus rates KELYB with a GF Score™ of 66/100 and a GF Value™ of $21.78 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 11 warning signs investors should review. Among 834 Business Services companies, Kelly Services ranks worse than 119903.96% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Kelly Services's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
KELYB'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -12.15 Med: 0.11 Max: 7.58
Current: -6.41
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Kelly Services was 7.58. The lowest was -12.15. And the median was 0.11.
KELYB's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 100% of 834
companies
in the Business Services industry
Industry Median: 1.65
vs KELYB: -6.41
Kelly Services (NAS:KELYB) Debt-to-EBITDA Explanation
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
Kelly Services Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Kelly Services Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Kelly Services's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Staffing & Employment Services subindustry, Kelly Services's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Kelly Services Debt-to-EBITDA vs Business Services Industry
For the Business Services industry and Industrials sector, Kelly Services's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Kelly Services's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
Kelly Services (KELYB) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 4.79 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Kelly Services. This is 4255% above median its historical median of 0.11. According to the industry distribution chart, Kelly Services ranks #999999 out of 834 companies in the Business Services industry.
Is Kelly Services' Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Kelly Services' current Debt-to-EBITDA of 4.79 is 4255% above median its 10-year median of 0.11. The Business Services industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.65. Kelly Services' value of 4.79 is 190.3% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Kelly Services ranks #999999 out of 834 companies in the Business Services industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Kelly Services has a GF Score™ of 66/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Kelly Services' Debt-to-EBITDA compare to TBI and HQI?
According to the Business Services industry distribution chart, Kelly Services ranks #999999 out of 834 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places Kelly Services in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.65. Kelly Services' value of 4.79 is 190.3% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 0.11 vs. the industry median of 1.65, Kelly Services has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Business Services company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Business Services companies is 1.65, based on 834 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Kelly Services's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 4.79 is 190.3% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Kelly Services. For the Business Services industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 1.65 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Kelly Services's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 4.79, which is 4255% above median its own 10-year median of 0.11. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Kelly Services stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kelly Services (KELYB) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $21.78, compared to a current price of $23.16 — trading 6.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 4.79, which is 4255% above median its 10-year median of 0.11 and 190.3% above the Business Services industry median of 1.65. Kelly Services' overall GF Score™ is 66/100 with 11 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Kelly Services (KELYB), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 4.79 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Kelly Services (KELYB) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Kelly Services stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $23.16 is trading 6.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of $21.78.
GuruFocus considers Kelly Services to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for KELYB:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 4.79 (4255% above median its 10-year median of 0.11)
GF Value™: $21.78 vs. price of $23.16 (6.3% above fair value)
Industry Position: 190.3% above the Business Services median (#999999 of 834)
No single metric tells the full story. See the KELYB stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Kelly Services Inc is a specialty talent solutions company. The company operates through three reportable segments: i) Enterprise Talent Management, which provides temporary staffing, outsourcing, and permanent placement services across industrial, contact center, and clerical roles, ii) Science, Engineering & Technology, which supplies specialized talent across multiple industries, and iii) Education, which delivers staffing, placement, and executive search services to Pre-K-12 school districts and education organizations in the United States. The majority of the company's revenue is derived from the Enterprise Talent Management segment. Geographically, it generates the maximum revenue from the United States, followed by Europe and the Asia-Pacific Region.
66GF Score
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