First Trust Advisors LP Lowers Stake in Barrett Business Services, Inc. $BBSI

First Trust Advisors LP lowered its holdings in shares of Barrett Business Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:BBSI) by 34.9% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 86,518 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 46,440 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Barrett Business Services were worth $2,525,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in Barrett Business Services in the 4th quarter worth about $39,000. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Barrett Business Services in the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Barrett Business Services by 63.0% in the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 1,456 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 563 shares during the period. Tripletail Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Barrett Business Services by 152.6% in the fourth quarter. Tripletail Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,920 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $70,000 after acquiring an additional 1,160 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Barrett Business Services by 270.2% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,999 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 1,459 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.76% of the company’s stock.

Barrett Business Services Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ:BBSI opened at $33.18 on Friday. Barrett Business Services, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $25.33 and a fifty-two week high of $49.65. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $36.55 and its 200-day simple moving average is $33.09. The company has a market cap of $814.90 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.40, a PEG ratio of 1.23 and a beta of 0.94.

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

Barrett Business Services Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Barrett Business Services from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, June 6th. Citigroup reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Barrett Business Services in a report on Thursday. Zacks Research upgraded Barrett Business Services from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Barrett Business Services from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Roth Capital downgraded Barrett Business Services from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $42.00 to $38.00 in a report on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have issued a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Barrett Business Services has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $41.00.

Barrett Business Services News Roundup

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

Insider Activity at Barrett Business Services

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

Barrett Business Services 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.