Filing Flows › Kelly Services (KELYA) › Takeover & LBO
Is Kelly Services (KELYA) a takeover target?
A leveraged buyout does not work for Kelly Services on its latest figures: its EBITDA margin is only 1.3% ($54.6M on revenue of $4.1B), too thin to carry buyout debt. Historically 8.8% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (1.76× the average).
Why a leveraged buyout does not fit
Kelly Services kept 1.3% of its revenue as EBITDA over the last 12 months ($54.6M on $4.1B). A margin that thin cannot carry the debt a leveraged buyout needs — a small dip in sales would leave nothing for interest — so the model gives no buyout price.
What a takeover could cost
Takeovers in its sector paid a median premium of 40% over the share price before the deal (the middle half 14.7% to 60.2%), according to the 20 merger proxies and tender-offer responses on EDGAR that state a premium. At the median, Kelly Services would cost about $23.23 a share, $806M for all its shares.
| Premium | % | Price a share | All shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low end (a quarter of deals paid less) | 14.7% | $19.03 | $660M |
| Median | 40% | $23.23 | $806M |
| High end (a quarter paid more) | 60.2% | $26.58 | $922M |
The odds, from history
Historically 8.8% of companies with its figures were bought within a year (1.76× the average). Its figures put it in decile 10 of 10 (10 = the most likely to be bought). The odds come from a model of every merger proxy, tender-offer response and going-private statement filed on EDGAR since 2011, set against each company's size, margins, debt, cash flow and growth the year before.
Kelly Services' latest quarter
Kelly Services, Q3 2026: revenue $927M (-0.8% year over year), operating margin 0.1%, net loss $1.7M, operating cash flow −$54.5M. The chart follows the revenue to costs, profit and cash.
Questions
Is Kelly Services being acquired?
No headline, 8-K or 13D about a sale is on file in the last year.
Could private equity buy Kelly Services?
A leveraged buyout does not work for Kelly Services on its latest figures: its EBITDA margin is only 1.3% ($54.6M on revenue of $4.1B), too thin to carry buyout debt. A margin that thin leaves almost nothing to pay interest with, so buyout debt does not fit.
What would a takeover of Kelly Services cost?
Takeovers in its sector paid a median premium of 40% over the share price before the deal (the middle half 14.7% to 60.2%), according to the 20 merger proxies and tender-offer responses on EDGAR that state a premium. At the median, Kelly Services would cost about $23.23 a share, $806M for all its shares.
Updated Nov 8, 2026. Read automatically from SEC filings and public data; errors are possible. Not investment advice.