Staffing Stocks Up On ManpowerGroup Inc Results

Staffing companies were trading up Friday after bellwether ManpowerGroup Inc.

posted better-than-expected results. Milwaukee-based Manpower's fourth-quarter earnings grew nearly 16 percent to $1.47 a share, versus Wall Street's expectation of $1.43. But the company blamed currency headwinds for a first-quarter forecast of $0.73 cents to $0.81 cents a share -- well below the Street consensus of $0.86 cents. Despite the disappointing forecast, Manpower, with a market cap of $5.19 billion, gained 8 percent in recent trading, changing hands at $72.98. The far smaller Kelly Services Inc.

traded recently at $17.05, up 2.7 percent. Troy, Michigan-based Kelly, with a market cap of $631 million, beat quarterly profit expectations Thursday by a wide margin, although adjusted earnings fell 11 percent. The blue-collar staffer Trueblue Inc.

gained more than 6 percent recently to $21.73. Results are expected Feb. 5 from the from the Tacoma, Washington company with a market cap of $896.2 million. The staffing and consulting concern Barrett Business Services, Inc.

picked up nearly 4 percent recently, trading at $30.68 a share. With a market cap of $216.7 million, Vancouver, Washington-based Barret expects to post results Feb. 4.