Barrett Business Services (BBSI) vs Kelly Services (KELYA)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
Kelly Services (KELYA) has outperformed Barrett Business Services (BBSI) over the past year, gaining 24.3% versus a loss of 27.7%. Over five years, BBSI leads with a +61.4% price change compared with -17.8% for KELYA. Barrett Business Services is the larger company by market cap ($779.9 million vs $561.6 million), about 1.4 times the size.
On valuation, Kelly Services trades at a lower forward P/E (8.9x vs 15.9x for Barrett Business Services). Kelly Services offers the higher dividend yield (1.86% vs 0.99%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | BBSI | KELYA |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $32.18 | $16.17 |
| Market cap | $779.89M | $561.62M |
| 1-day change | +1.77% | +1.70% |
| YTD return | -11.13% | +83.75% |
| 1-year return | -27.73% | +24.29% |
| 5-year return | +61.38% | -17.84% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 24.01 | — |
| Forward P/E | 15.89 | 8.88 |
| EPS (TTM) | $1.34 | $-7.79 |
| Dividend yield | 0.99% | 1.86% |
| Annual dividend | $0.32 | $0.30 |
| 52-week high | $43.73 | $17.75 |
| 52-week low | $25.33 | $7.98 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -26.41% | -8.90% |
| Analyst consensus | none | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +26.63% | +23.69% |
| Average volume | 234.66K | 311.33K |
| Shares outstanding | 24.24M | 31.44M |
| Employees | 141,802 | 4,900 |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Professional Services | Professional Services |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- KELYA has outperformed BBSI by 52.0 percentage points over the past year.
About Barrett Business Services
BBSI stock →Barrett Business Services, Inc. provides business management solutions for small and mid-sized companies in the United States.
Consumer Discretionary · Professional Services · 141,802 employees
About Kelly Services
KELYA stock →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.
Consumer Discretionary · Professional Services · 4,900 employees
BBSI vs KELYA FAQ
Which is bigger, Barrett Business Services or Kelly Services?
Barrett Business Services (BBSI) is larger, with a market capitalization of $779.89M compared with $561.62M for Kelly Services (KELYA).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, BBSI or KELYA?
KELYA returned +24.29% over the past 12 months, compared with -27.73% for BBSI (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which pays a higher dividend, Barrett Business Services or Kelly Services?
Kelly Services has the higher yield at 1.86%, compared with 0.99% for Barrett Business Services.
Are Barrett Business Services and Kelly Services in the same industry?
Yes. Both are classified in the Professional Services industry within the Consumer Discretionary sector.