BBSI Reports First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Rhea-AI Summary
Barrett Business Services (NASDAQ: BBSI) reported Q1 2026 results: revenues $307.0M (+5% YoY) and gross billings $2.16B (+3% YoY). Average worksite employees rose 1.9% to 134,993. The company reported a net loss $14.8M (loss per share $(0.59)), which includes an $11.6M tax-effected, non-recurring U.S. Tax Court-related charge.
Liquidity: unrestricted cash and investments $91.9M; debt free. Capital returned: $20.1M repurchases in Q1 and a $0.08 quarterly dividend payable June 5, 2026. Outlook reaffirmed: gross billings +3%–5%, WSEs +2%–4%, gross margin 2.70%–2.85%.
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
Positive
- Revenues +5% to $307.0M
- Gross billings +3% to $2.16B
- Average WSEs +1.9% to 134,993
- Share repurchases of $20.1M in Q1
- Quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share
Negative
- GAAP net loss of $14.8M (includes $11.6M tax charge)
- Unrestricted cash and investments declined from $157.2M to $91.9M
- Non-recurring tax charge relates to disallowed prior-year wage credits
News Market Reaction – BBSI
On the day this news was published, BBSI gained 1.56%, reflecting a mild positive market reaction. Argus tracked a trough of -13.7% from its starting point during tracking. Our momentum scanner triggered 7 alerts that day, indicating moderate trading interest and price volatility. This price movement added approximately $11M to the company's valuation, bringing the market cap to $723.04M at that time.
Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.
Key Figures
Market Reality Check
Peers on Argus
Peers showed mixed moves: MAN -0.7%, KFRC +1.01%, KELYA +0.1%, others flat. With BBSI down 0.82%, action appears more stock-specific than sector-driven.
Previous Earnings Reports
| Date | Event | Sentiment | Move | Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25 | Q4/FY 2025 earnings | Positive | -14.7% | Q4 and full-year 2025 revenue and net income growth with strong liquidity. |
| Nov 05 | Q3 2025 earnings | Positive | -14.2% | Q3 2025 revenue, billings, net income and WSE growth with buybacks and dividend. |
| Aug 06 | Q2 2025 earnings | Positive | +5.6% | Strong Q2 2025 growth, higher WSEs, buybacks, dividend and raised outlook. |
| May 07 | Q1 2025 earnings | Positive | -0.9% | Q1 2025 revenue and billings growth with higher WSEs but small net loss. |
| Feb 26 | Q4/FY 2024 earnings | Positive | -0.5% | Q4 and full-year 2024 revenue and net income growth with strong cash balance. |
Recent earnings releases were generally positive fundamentally but often met with negative price reactions, suggesting a pattern of post-earnings weakness.
Over the past year, BBSI’s earnings reports consistently highlighted revenue and gross billings growth, stronger cash positions, and ongoing share repurchases and dividends. Despite this, shares frequently declined after results, with four of the last five earnings events seeing negative next-day moves even on “strong” quarters. Today’s first-quarter 2026 release, featuring modest growth but a sizable one-time tax charge and reaffirmed guidance, fits into this pattern of fundamentally steady progress paired with cautious market responses.
Historical Comparison
Across the last 5 earnings releases, BBSI’s average next-day move was -4.94%, showing a tendency toward post-earnings weakness even on strong reports.
Earnings over 2024–2025 show steady revenue and billings growth, rising WSEs, and continued cash strength, dividends, and buybacks into the current 2026 outlook.
Market Pulse Summary
This announcement details Q1 2026 results with 5% revenue growth, 3% billings growth, and a larger GAAP loss driven by an $11.6 million tax-related charge tied to prior-year credits. Management reaffirmed 2026 guidance and continued capital returns via buybacks and dividends, though unrestricted cash declined to $91.9 million. Recent earnings history shows steady growth but often cautious market reactions, making ongoing cash trends, margin performance, and resolution of tax matters key areas to monitor.
Key Terms
peo financial
gross billings financial
non-gaap financial
wse financial
AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.
- Revenues up
VANCOUVER, Wash., May 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barrett Business Services, Inc. (“BBSI” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BBSI), a leading provider of business management solutions, reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.
First Quarter 2026 Financial Summary vs. Year-Ago Quarter
- Revenues up
5% to$307.0 million . - Gross billings up
3% to$2.16 billion . - Average worksite employees (“WSEs”) up
1.9% . - Net loss of
$14.8 million , or$(0.59) per diluted share, compared to a net loss of$1.0 million , or$(0.04) per diluted share, reflecting a one-time charge related to a U.S. Tax Court decision on prior-year tax credits. Net loss excluding the charge was$3.2 million , or$(0.13) per diluted share.
“BBSI delivered first quarter results in line with our expectations, supported by stable margins, benefiting from improved pricing,” said Gary Kramer, President and CEO of Barrett Business Services, Inc. “During the quarter, we also advanced a number of IT initiatives that strengthen our technology platform and position us for long-term growth. While our reported results reflect a non-recurring charge related to a recent U.S. Tax Court decision on prior-year tax credits, our underlying business trends remain consistent. We generated strong client additions during the quarter, partially offset by continued headwinds from client hiring. Accordingly, we are reiterating our full-year expectations.”
First Quarter 2026 Financial Results
Revenues in the first quarter of 2026 increased
Total gross billings in the first quarter of 2026 increased
In the first quarter of 2026, the Company began presenting benefit costs as a discrete financial statement line item on the consolidated statements of operations. These costs primarily represent the premiums associated with its fully insured PEO client benefits program. As a result, these costs are directly correlated to the related client billings for PEO services.
Workers’ compensation expense as a percent of gross billings was
Net loss for the first quarter of 2026 was
Liquidity
As of March 31, 2026, unrestricted cash and investments were
Capital Allocation
Continuing under the Company’s stock repurchase program established in August 2025, BBSI repurchased
The Company paid
Through a combination of stock repurchases and dividends, year-to-date capital returned to shareholders totaled more than
Outlook
BBSI reaffirms its outlook for 2026 as follows:
- Gross billings growth of
3% to5% . - Growth in the average number of WSEs of
2% to4% . - Gross margin as a percent of gross billings of
2.70% to2.85% . - Effective annual tax rate to remain at
26% to27% .
Conference Call
BBSI will conduct a conference call on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (2:00 p.m. Pacific time) to discuss its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.
BBSI’s CEO Gary Kramer and CFO Anthony Harris will host the conference call, followed by a question and answer period.
Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (2:00 p.m. Pacific time)
Toll-free dial-in number: 1-800-717-1738
International dial-in number: 1-646-307-1865
Conference ID: 11161330
Please call the conference telephone number 5-10 minutes prior to the start time. An operator will register your name and organization. If you have any difficulty connecting with the conference call, please contact Gateway Group at 1-949-574-3860.
The conference call will be broadcast live and available for replay here and via the Investors section of the BBSI website at ir.bbsi.com.
A replay of the conference call will be available after 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on the same day through June 6, 2026.
Toll-free replay number: 1-844-512-2921
International replay number: 1-412-317-6671
Replay ID: 11161330
Key Performance Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures
During the first quarter of 2026, the Company recorded tax-effected charges of
The reconciliation of net loss and diluted loss per share to non-GAAP net loss and non-GAAP diluted loss per share for the three months ended March 31, 2026 is shown in the table below (in thousands, except per share amounts):
| (Unaudited) | ||||||||
| Three Months Ended | ||||||||
| March 31, | ||||||||
| 2026 | ||||||||
| Net Loss | Diluted Loss Per Share | |||||||
| GAAP net loss | $ | (14,803 | ) | $ | (0.59 | ) | ||
| Non-recurring tax adjustment | 11,565 | 0.46 | ||||||
| Non-GAAP net loss | $ | (3,238 | ) | $ | (0.13 | ) | ||
| Weighted average number of diluted common shares outstanding | 25,031 | |||||||
We report PEO revenues net of direct payroll costs because we are not the primary obligor for wage payments to our clients’ employees. However, management believes that gross billings and wages are useful in understanding the volume of our business activity and serve as important performance metrics in managing our operations, including the preparation of internal operating forecasts and establishing executive compensation performance goals. We therefore present for purposes of analysis gross billings and wage information for the three months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025.
| (Unaudited) | ||||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||
| (in thousands) | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| Gross billings | $ | 2,161,271 | $ | 2,088,669 | ||||
| PEO and staffing wages | $ | 1,864,665 | $ | 1,809,468 | ||||
In monitoring and evaluating the performance of our operations, management also reviews the following ratios, which represent selected amounts as a percentage of gross billings. Management believes these ratios are useful in understanding the efficiency and profitability of our service offerings.
| (Unaudited) | ||||||
| Percentage of Gross Billings | ||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | |||||
| PEO and staffing wages | ||||||
| Payroll taxes | ||||||
| Benefit costs | ||||||
| Workers' compensation | ||||||
| Gross margin | ||||||
We refer to employees of our PEO clients as WSEs. Management reviews average and ending WSE growth to monitor and evaluate the performance of our operations. Average WSEs are calculated by dividing the number of unique individuals paid in each month by the number of months in the period. Ending WSEs represents the number of unique individuals paid in the last month of the period.
| (Unaudited) | ||||||||||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31, | ||||||||||||||
| 2026 | Year-over-year % Growth | 2025 | Year-over-year % Growth | |||||||||||
| Average WSEs | 134,993 | 132,459 | ||||||||||||
| Ending WSEs | 135,596 | 133,699 | ||||||||||||
About BBSI
BBSI (NASDAQ: BBSI) is a leading provider of business management solutions, combining human resource outsourcing and professional management consulting to create a unique operational platform that differentiates it from competitors. The Company’s integrated platform is built upon expertise in payroll processing, employee benefits, workers’ compensation coverage, risk management and workplace safety programs, and human resource administration. BBSI’s partnerships help businesses of all sizes improve the efficiency of their operations. The Company works with more than 8,200 PEO clients in all 50 states. For more information, please visit www.bbsi.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this release about future events and financial outlook are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect future results include: our ability to retain current clients and attract new clients; technology disruption, including the displacement of employees through the adoption of AI and automation by our clients; difficulties associated with integrating clients into our operations; economic trends in the Company’s service areas and the potential effects of changing governmental policies, including those related to immigration, tariffs, other trade policies, or climate regulation; risks to our business and the business of our clients arising from current or future tariffs or other trade restrictions, supply chain issues, changes in labor force, or geopolitical instability, including the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, and the potential for future conflicts or disruptions in other parts of the world; natural disasters; the potential for material deviations from expected future workers’ compensation claims experience; changes in the workers’ compensation regulatory environment in the Company’s primary markets; PEO client benefit costs, particularly with regard to health insurance benefits; security breaches or failures in the Company’s information technology systems; collectability of accounts receivable; changes in executive management; changes in effective payroll tax rates and federal and state income tax rates; the carrying values of deferred income tax assets and goodwill (which may be affected by our future operating results); the effects of inflation on our operating expenses and those of our clients; the impact of and potential changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, escalating medical costs, and other health care legislative initiatives on our business; the effect of changing monetary policy, interest rates and conditions in the global capital markets on the Company’s investment portfolio; and the availability of capital, borrowing capacity on our revolving credit facility, or letters of credit necessary to meet state-mandated surety deposit requirements for maintaining our status as a qualified self-insured employer for workers’ compensation coverage or our insured program. Other important factors that may affect the Company’s prospects are described in the Company’s 2025 Annual Report on Form 10-K and in subsequent reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Although forward-looking statements help to provide complete information about the Company, readers should keep in mind that forward-looking statements are less reliable than historical information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements in this release to reflect events or changes in circumstances that occur after the date of this release.
| Barrett Business Services, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) | ||||||||
| March 31, | December 31, | |||||||
| (in thousands) | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| ASSETS | ||||||||
| Current assets: | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 36,582 | $ | 95,033 | ||||
| Investments | 55,290 | 62,154 | ||||||
| Trade accounts receivable, net | 293,612 | 248,626 | ||||||
| Income taxes receivable | — | 2,965 | ||||||
| Prepaid expenses and other | 29,410 | 18,652 | ||||||
| Restricted cash and investments | 123,119 | 97,210 | ||||||
| Total current assets | 538,013 | 524,640 | ||||||
| Property, equipment and software, net | 70,785 | 67,230 | ||||||
| Operating lease right-of-use assets | 24,335 | 23,218 | ||||||
| Restricted cash and investments | 93,801 | 106,216 | ||||||
| Goodwill | 47,820 | 47,820 | ||||||
| Other assets | 8,386 | 9,869 | ||||||
| Deferred income taxes | 84 | 74 | ||||||
| Total assets | $ | 783,224 | $ | 779,067 | ||||
| LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | ||||||||
| Current liabilities: | ||||||||
| Accounts payable | $ | 5,869 | $ | 7,433 | ||||
| Accrued payroll and related benefits | 263,178 | 237,783 | ||||||
| Payroll taxes payable | 69,311 | 62,463 | ||||||
| Income taxes payable | 7,337 | — | ||||||
| Current operating lease liabilities | 7,169 | 6,969 | ||||||
| Current premium payable | 70,689 | 38,992 | ||||||
| Other accrued liabilities | 9,621 | 19,357 | ||||||
| Workers' compensation claims liabilities | 31,538 | 32,875 | ||||||
| Total current liabilities | 464,712 | 405,872 | ||||||
| Long-term workers' compensation claims liabilities | 70,272 | 75,709 | ||||||
| Long-term premium payable | 11,315 | 26,025 | ||||||
| Long-term operating lease liabilities | 18,408 | 17,484 | ||||||
| Customer deposits and other long-term liabilities | 12,851 | 12,977 | ||||||
| Stockholders' equity | 205,666 | 241,000 | ||||||
| Total liabilities and stockholders' equity | $ | 783,224 | $ | 779,067 | ||||
| Barrett Business Services, Inc. Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) | ||||||||
| Three Months Ended | ||||||||
| March 31, | ||||||||
| (in thousands, except per share amounts) | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| Revenues: | ||||||||
| Professional employer services | $ | 292,997 | $ | 274,926 | ||||
| Staffing services | 14,008 | 17,640 | ||||||
| Total revenues | 307,005 | 292,566 | ||||||
| Cost of revenues: | ||||||||
| Direct payroll costs | 10,482 | 13,306 | ||||||
| Payroll taxes | 174,096 | 169,390 | ||||||
| Benefit costs | 27,448 | 17,616 | ||||||
| Workers' compensation | 51,794 | 49,630 | ||||||
| Total cost of revenues | 263,820 | 249,942 | ||||||
| Gross margin | 43,185 | 42,624 | ||||||
| Selling, general and administrative expenses | 47,480 | 44,838 | ||||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 2,173 | 1,958 | ||||||
| Loss from operations | (6,468 | ) | (4,172 | ) | ||||
| Other income (expense): | ||||||||
| Investment income, net | 2,022 | 2,620 | ||||||
| Interest expense | (42 | ) | (44 | ) | ||||
| Other, net | 50 | 58 | ||||||
| Other income, net | 2,030 | 2,634 | ||||||
| Loss before income taxes | (4,438 | ) | (1,538 | ) | ||||
| Provision for (benefit from) income taxes | 10,365 | (517 | ) | |||||
| Net loss | $ | (14,803 | ) | $ | (1,021 | ) | ||
| Basic loss per common share | $ | (0.59 | ) | $ | (0.04 | ) | ||
| Weighted average number of basic common shares outstanding | 25,031 | 25,809 | ||||||
| Diluted loss per common share | $ | (0.59 | ) | $ | (0.04 | ) | ||
| Weighted average number of diluted common shares outstanding | 25,031 | 25,809 | ||||||
Investor Relations:
Gateway Group, Inc.
Cody Slach
Tel 1-949-574-3860
BBSI@gateway-grp.com
