TROY, Mich. (Globe Newswire) — Kelly, a leading specialty talent solutions provider, today announced results for the second quarter of 2024.
Peter Quigley, president and chief executive officer, announced revenue for the second quarter of 2024 totaled $1.06 billion, a 13.1% decrease compared to the corresponding quarter of 2023, resulting primarily from the sale of the company’s European staffing operations in January.
Excluding the impact of the sale of the European staffing operations and the recent acquisition of MRP, revenue improved 0.6% on an organic basis reflecting the continuing impact of customers’ more-guarded approach to hiring and initiating new projects or capital spending.
MRP revenue is included in reported revenue upon acquisition beginning in June 2024 and added 400 bps to reported year-over-year revenue growth.
“In the second quarter, employers continued to take a cautious approach to hiring, though customer demand stabilized on a sequential basis across much of our business – a development that is reflected in Kelly’s organic revenue for the quarter,” Quigley said. “As we continued to navigate uncertain market conditions, we remained focused on what we can control. Our ongoing growth and efficiency initiatives increased Kelly’s EBITDA margin in the first half of the year to 3.4% on an organic, adjusted basis – at the midpoint of our initial expectation for EBITDA margin expansion which we established one year ago. This improvement, combined with the scale and capabilities we added through our recent acquisition of MRP, position Kelly to accelerate profitable growth as market conditions improve.”
Kelly reported operating earnings in the second quarter of 2024 of $12.2 million, compared to earnings of $6.2 million reported in the second quarter of 2023. Adjusted earnings were $28.1 million in the second quarter of 2024.
The $15.9 million increase from reported earnings includes a loss on the sale of the European staffing operations, charges related to transformation actions and the sale of the European staffing operations, an impairment charge related to excess leased property and a gain on the sale of assets related to the Ayers Group.
The acquisition of MRP added $1.5 million of earnings from operations in the second quarter of 2024. Adjusted earnings in the second quarter of 2023 were $14.2 million. The $8.0 million increase from reported earnings included transformation related charges and an asset impairment charge. The European staffing operations produced $1 million of earnings from operations on an adjusted basis in the second quarter of 2023.
Earnings per share in the second quarter of 2024 were $0.12 compared to earnings per share of $0.20 in the second quarter of 2023. Included in earnings per share in the second quarter of 2024 were a loss on the sale of EMEA staffing operations and a gain on the sale of Ayers Group, net of tax of $0.16, as well as transaction costs related to the acquisition of MRP, restructuring charges associated with our transformation and an asset impairment charge, net of tax, of $0.43.
Included in the earnings per share in the second quarter of 2023 are $0.16 per share related to restructuring charges and an asset impairment charge, net of tax. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share were $0.71 in the second quarter of 2024, a significant improvement from $0.36 per share in the corresponding quarter of 2023.
Kelly also reported that on August 7, its board of directors declared a dividend of $0.075 per share. The dividend is payable on September 4, 2024, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 21, 2024.
