First Trust Advisors LP Sells 46,440 Shares of Barrett Business Services, Inc. $BBSI

First Trust Advisors LP lessened its holdings in Barrett Business Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:BBSI) by 34.9% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 86,518 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 46,440 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.35% of Barrett Business Services worth $2,525,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Barrett Business Services by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,964,053 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $71,118,000 after buying an additional 13,331 shares during the last quarter. Private Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Barrett Business Services by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Private Capital Management LLC now owns 999,371 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $36,187,000 after purchasing an additional 12,117 shares during the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP increased its holdings in Barrett Business Services by 31.6% during the fourth quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 870,863 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $31,534,000 after buying an additional 208,865 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its stake in shares of Barrett Business Services by 15.3% in the 4th quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 821,560 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $29,749,000 after purchasing an additional 109,069 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Barrett Business Services by 4.0% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 661,181 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $19,295,000 after buying an additional 25,221 shares during the period. 86.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Barrett Business Services Price Performance

BBSI opened at $33.18 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $814.90 million, a PE ratio of 24.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.94. The business’s 50-day moving average is $36.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $33.09. Barrett Business Services, Inc. has a 1 year low of $25.33 and a 1 year high of $49.65.

Barrett Business Services (NASDAQ:BBSI) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The business services provider reported $0.52 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.04). Barrett Business Services had a net margin of 2.77% and a return on equity of 20.38%. The firm had revenue of $319.27 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $321.55 million. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Barrett Business Services, Inc. will post 1.68 EPS for the current year.

Barrett Business Services Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 4th. Investors of record on Friday, August 21st will be given a $0.08 dividend. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 21st. Barrett Business Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.53%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP James R. Potts sold 3,490 shares of Barrett Business Services stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.00, for a total transaction of $132,620.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 32,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,217,330. The trade was a 9.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Anthony Meeker sold 12,000 shares of Barrett Business Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.85, for a total transaction of $454,200.00. Following the sale, the director owned 44,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,701,168.25. The trade was a 21.07% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 20,779 shares of company stock valued at $786,233. Corporate insiders own 4.80% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Barrett Business Services

Here are the key news stories impacting Barrett Business Services this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BBSI declared a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share, payable September 4 to shareholders of record August 21. The dividend provides a modest annualized yield of approximately 1%. Barrett Business Services dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue of $319.27 million was broadly in line with expectations of $321.55 million, suggesting demand held up despite pressure on profitability. BBSI Q2 2026 earnings results
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted earnings were $0.52 per share, below the $0.56 consensus estimate and down from $0.70 a year earlier. The earnings miss, combined with a net margin of only 2.77%, is likely weighing on the shares. BBSI misses Q2 earnings and revenue estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Sidoti reduced its EPS forecasts across the next several quarters: Q3 2026 to $0.69 from $0.78, Q4 2026 to $0.55 from $0.65, Q2 2027 to $0.76 from $0.82, Q3 2027 to $0.85 from $0.93, and Q4 2027 to $0.62 from $0.72. These revisions indicate weaker expected earnings momentum than previously anticipated.
• Negative Sentiment: Management commentary and post-earnings analysis highlighted margin pressure and reductions in client workforces, which could constrain payroll-related revenue and operating leverage. BBSI Q2 deep dive

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Zacks Research raised Barrett Business Services from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Roth Capital lowered shares of Barrett Business Services from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $42.00 to $38.00 in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings upgraded Barrett Business Services from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Citigroup reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Barrett Business Services in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Barrington Research set a $44.00 price objective on Barrett Business Services in a research report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have assigned a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $41.00.

Barrett Business Services Company Profile

Barrett Business Services, Inc (NASDAQ: BBSI) is a professional employer organization (PEO) headquartered in Northridge, California. Founded in 1971 by Barrett K. Levesque, the company provides comprehensive human resources outsourcing solutions to small and mid-sized businesses. Through its consultative model, Barrett Business Services helps clients streamline administrative processes, mitigate regulatory risk and focus on core operations.

The company’s core offerings include payroll administration, employee benefits management, workers’ compensation and risk management services.