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Barrett Business Services (BBSI) AI Stock Analysis

BBSI

Barrett Business Services

(NASDAQ:BBSI)

Select Model
Rating:70Outperform
Price Target:$44.00▲(31.78% Upside)
Action:reiterated
Date:08/06/26

The score is driven primarily by solid underlying financial strength (notably a conservative balance sheet) and favorable technical trend/momentum. It is tempered by recently weaker margins and inconsistent cash-flow conversion, plus a valuation that is not especially cheap and an earnings outlook that remains cautious as 2026 is guided as a transition year for margins.

Positive Factors
Conservative Balance SheetLow leverage and a meaningful equity base provide durable financial flexibility for a PEO exposed to insurance and claims volatility. With negligible debt and strong equity history, BBSI can fund working capital, claims volatility, buybacks and investments without stressing liquidity over the next 2–6 months.
Negative Factors
Workers' Comp Margin PressureWorkers' compensation spreads are a core profitability driver for BBSI. Higher claim severity and the monthly timing lag for pricing to pass through mean margins can remain depressed for several quarters. This structural exposure can compress earnings and slow margin recovery into 2027 if claims persist.

Barrett Business Services (BBSI) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

-30%-20%-10%0%10%20%BBSI-3.44%SPY+12.20%Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
Market Cap
$809.46M
Dividend Yield
0.96%
Average Volume (3M)
215.85K
Price to Earnings (P/E)
24.0
Beta (1Y)
0.50
Revenue Growth
5.59%
EPS Growth
-33.45%
Country
US
Employees
141,802
Sector
General
Sector Strength
55
Industry
Staffing & Employment Services

Barrett Business Services Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Barrett Business Services, Inc. (BBSI) delivers a range of business management solutions specifically designed for small and mid-sized enterprises across the United States. The company has developed a proprietary management platform that seamlessly i...

How the Company Makes Money

BBSI makes money primarily by providing PEO services in which it becomes a co-employer with its client and delivers a bundled set of employment-related services. The core revenue stream is PEO service revenue, which is typically tied to the client’s...

Barrett Business Services Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Aug 04, 2026(Q2-2026)|% Change Since:-16.55%|Next Earnings Date:Nov 03, 2026
Earnings Call SentimentNeutral

The call presented a mixed picture: clear commercial momentum (new client growth, product rollout, regional wins, benefits traction and disciplined expenses) offset by margin headwinds driven primarily by rising workers' compensation claim costs and the timing lag for pricing to take effect, an 18% decline in staffing revenue, and a meaningful drop in EPS. Management expects 2026 to be a transition year with margins improving in 2027 as pricing actions fully roll through, while maintaining a conservative near-term outlook and continued investment in products and go-to-market capabilities.

Positive Updates

Top-line growth and gross billings
Gross billings increased 2.6% year-over-year to $2.29 billion in Q2 2026 (PEO gross billings +2.8% to $2.28 billion), reflecting continued revenue expansion despite headwinds.

Negative Updates

Staffing revenue decline
Staffing revenues declined 18% year-over-year to $14 million, driven by reduced order activity from existing staffing clients despite new-business wins outpacing runoff.

Company Guidance

BBSI narrowed full‑year guidance, now expecting gross billings growth of 3–4% (vs. prior 3–5%), average WSE growth of 2–3% (vs. prior 2–4%), gross margin of 2.70%–2.75% of gross billings (vs. prior 2.70%–2.85%), and a normalized effective tax rate of 26%–27%; management called 2026 a transition/“low‑watermark” year for margins with improvement expected in 2027 as monthly workers’‑comp pricing rolls through. For context and drivers cited on the call: Q2 gross billings were $2.29B (+2.6% YoY), PEO gross billings +2.8%, staffing revenues down 18% to $14M, PEO WSEs +1%, average billing per WSE/day +2.2%, new client acquisitions +17% YoY, ~4,500 WSEs added from net new clients Y/Y, asset‑light markets +73% (added ~400 WSEs in Q2), East Coast +16%, Mountain +2%, PNW +3%, benefits added ~70 clients and >2,000 participants in Q2, Q2 net income per diluted share $0.52 (vs. $0.70 prior), investment income $1.9M, SG&A down ~2% in Q2 (full‑year SG&A growth expected below gross billings growth), $68M unrestricted cash and investments, no debt, $15M repurchased in Q2 under a $100M program ($40M remaining) and $1.9M paid in dividends this quarter.

Barrett Business Services Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Financial quality is solid but uneven: the balance sheet is a clear strength (low leverage and strong equity/ROE history), while profitability has recently stepped down with TTM margin compression. Cash flow is the main drag due to multi-year variability and weaker recent free-cash-flow conversion versus net income.

Income Statement

72Positive

Balance Sheet

84Very Positive

Cash Flow

55Neutral
Financial statement breakdown
BreakdownTTMDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue1.27B1.24B1.14B1.07B1.05B955.17M
Gross Profit250.90M260.91M253.25M242.53M234.84M204.51M
EBITDA69.27M80.09M78.25M76.26M71.67M56.36M
Net Income35.08M54.45M52.99M50.61M47.27M38.08M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets711.28M779.07M745.51M721.54M686.94M746.95M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments67.89M157.19M121.86M152.19M159.75M166.17M
Total Debt24.50M24.45M21.45M21.21M21.18M25.30M
Total Liabilities507.50M538.07M524.10M522.40M509.10M538.42M
Stockholders Equity203.78M241.00M221.40M199.14M177.84M208.53M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow15.52M47.18M-4.07M55.40M11.80M-22.26M
Operating Cash Flow36.61M65.95M10.09M67.22M27.78M-15.46M
Investing Cash Flow27.30M30.76M38.78M-55.19M61.15M-112.86M
Financing Cash Flow-70.23M-52.97M-41.13M-44.57M-60.18M-26.89M

Barrett Business Services Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentPositive
Last Price33.39

Price Trends

50DMA32.59Positive
100DMA34.40Negative
200DMA32.80Positive

Market Momentum

MACD0.14Negative
RSI58.63Neutral
STOCH62.09Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For BBSI, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 33.39 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 32.27, above the 50-day MA of 32.59, and above the 200-day MA of 32.80, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.14 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 58.63 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 62.09 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for BBSI.

Barrett Business Services Risk Analysis

Barrett Business Services disclosed 42 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Barrett Business Services reported the most risks in the "Production" category.

Higher RiskSector Avg.Lower RiskFinance & CorporateTech & InnovationLegal & RegulatoryProductionAbility to SellMacro & Political
Production - Risks related to the company’s ability to manufacture goods and services

Latest Risks Added

0 New Risks

Barrett Business Services Peers Comparison

Overall Rating

UnderperformOutperform
Sector (55)

Financial Indicators

BBSI against its peers
NameOverall RatingMarket CapP/E RatioROEDividend YieldRevenue GrowthEPS Growth
BBSIBBSI70Outperform$788.37M24.0315.76%0.96%5.59%-33.45%
KFYKFY65Neutral$4.18B14.3814.14%3.35%6.94%12.91%
TNETTNET62Neutral$2.94B18.31174.18%1.70%-3.86%34.32%
KELYAKELYA56Neutral$610.19M-2.16-27.06%1.78%-9.63%-4468.44%
Sector *55Neutral$6.65B3.83-15.92%6.20%10.91%7.18%
TBITBI52Neutral$297.44M-5.21-20.78%―10.17%-65.10%
NSPNSP48Neutral$1.85B635.365.50%4.51%2.12%-83.72%

* General Sector Average

Performance Comparison

0%50%100%BBSINSPKELYAKFYTBITNETDec '25Jan '26Feb '26Mar '26Apr '26May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26Nov '26
BBSI and its peers over the selected period
Show on chartTickerCompany NamePriceChange% Change
BBSIBarrett Business Services33.40-6.90-17.13%
NSPInsperity53.1819.7058.86%
KELYAKelly Services16.845.7652.00%
KFYKorn Ferry77.9713.6121.14%
TBITrueblue9.874.8094.67%
TNETTriNet Group67.5510.7318.89%

Barrett Business Services Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackDividendsFinancial Disclosures

Barrett Business Services Posts Mixed Q2 2026 Results

Neutral
Aug 5, 2026

On August 5, 2026, Barrett Business Services reported second-quarter 2026 results showing modest top-line growth but weaker profitability, as revenues rose 4% to $319.3 million and gross billings increased 3% to $2.29 billion, while net income fell t...

Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings

Barrett Business Services Shareholders Expand Stock Incentive Plan

Positive
Jun 3, 2026

At its June 1, 2026 annual meeting, Barrett Business Services, Inc. shareholders approved the Second Amended and Restated 2020 Stock Incentive Plan, raising the share pool for stock-based awards from 2,900,000 to 4,100,000, with no other substantive...

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.

Date of analysis: Aug 06, 2026