Company Announcements

BBSI Reports Strong Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Raises Quarterly Dividend

Source: GlobeNewswire
BBSI Reports Strong Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Raises Quarterly Dividend

- Q2 2024 Net Income of $16.7 Million, or $0.62 per Diluted Share -
- Raises Dividend by 7% to $0.08 per Share -

VANCOUVER, Wash., July 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Barrett Business Services, Inc. (“BBSI” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BBSI), a leading provider of business management solutions, reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2024.

All share and per share amounts presented herein have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the impact of the four-for-one stock split that was distributed in the form of a stock dividend in June 2024 (the "Stock Split").

Second Quarter 2024 Financial Summary vs. Year-Ago Quarter

  • Revenues up 6% to $279.7 million.
  • Gross billings up 6% to $2.03 billion.
  • Average worksite employees (“WSEs”) up 4%.
  • Net Income of $16.7 million, or $0.62 per diluted share, compared to net income of $17.0 million, or $0.62 per diluted share.

“Our strong performance continued through the second quarter, with gross billings growth and new client adds keeping us on track to meet our full year financial objectives,” said BBSI President and CEO Gary Kramer. “This continues to be driven by various strategies to increase the top of our sales funnel, our track record of client retention, and the roll-out of value-added offerings like BBSI Benefits. Given our consecutive quarters of great momentum and the opportunities ahead of us, we are confident 2024 will be another strong year for our shareholders.”

Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results

Revenues in the second quarter of 2024 increased 6% to $279.7 million compared to $264.6 million in the second quarter of 2023.

Total gross billings in the second quarter of 2024 increased 6% to $2.03 billion compared to $1.91 billion in the same year-ago quarter (see “Key Performance Metrics” below). The increase was driven by growth in professional employer ("PEO") services, specifically resulting from increased WSEs from net new clients and higher average billings per WSE.

Workers’ compensation expense as a percent of gross billings was 2.5% in the second quarter of 2024 and benefited from favorable prior year liability and premium adjustments of $8.9 million. This compares to 2.6% in the second quarter of 2023, which included favorable prior year liability and premium adjustments of $6.3 million.

Net Income for the second quarter of 2024 was $16.7 million, or $0.62 per diluted share, compared to net income of $17.0 million, or $0.62 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.

Liquidity

As of June 30, 2024, unrestricted cash and investments were $110.4 million compared to $123.7 million as of March 31, 2024. BBSI remained debt free at quarter end.

Capital Allocation

BBSI’s board of directors raised its quarterly split-adjusted stock cash dividend from $0.075 to $0.08 per share, a 7% increase. The cash dividend will be paid on August 30, 2024, to all stockholders of record as of August 16, 2024.

Continuing under the Company’s stock repurchase program established in July 2023, BBSI repurchased 222,780 shares in the second quarter at an average price of $31.63. At June 30, 2024, approximately $44.9 million remained available under the $75 million repurchase program.

Outlook

BBSI expects the following for 2024:

  • Gross billings growth of 6% to 8%
  • Growth in the average number of WSEs of 4% to 5%
  • Gross margin as a percent of gross billings of 3.0% to 3.10%
  • Effective annual tax rate to remain at 26% to 27%

Conference Call

BBSI will conduct a conference call on Wednesday, July 31, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (2:00 p.m. Pacific time) to discuss its financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.

BBSI’s CEO Gary Kramer and CFO Anthony Harris will host the conference call, followed by a question and answer period.

Date: Wednesday, July 31, 2024
Time: 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (2:00 p.m. Pacific time)
Toll-free dial-in number: 1-877-407-4018
International dial-in number: 1-201-689-8471
Conference ID: 13747439

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 Investor Relations 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 August 31, 2024.

Toll-free replay number: 1-844-512-2921
International replay number: 1-412-317-6671
Replay ID: 13747439

Key Performance Metrics

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 and six months ended June 30, 2024 and 2023.

 (Unaudited)  (Unaudited) 
 Three Months Ended June 30,  Six Months Ended June 30, 
(in thousands)2024  2023  2024  2023 
Gross billings$2,029,036  $1,911,550  $3,936,584  $3,700,768 
PEO and staffing wages$1,764,182  $1,661,668  $3,420,626  $3,213,021 
                

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) (Unaudited)
 Percentage of Gross Billings Percentage of Gross Billings
 Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30,
 2024 2023 2024 2023
PEO and staffing wages86.9% 86.9% 86.9% 86.9%
Payroll taxes and benefits7.3% 7.0% 7.9% 7.5%
Workers' compensation2.5% 2.6% 2.5% 2.7%
Gross margin3.3% 3.5% 2.7% 2.9%
        

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 June 30,
 2024  Year-over-year %
Growth
 2023  Year-over-year %
Growth
Average WSEs128,734  3.7% 124,186  1.6%
Ending WSEs130,046  2.1% 127,336  2.8%
          

 

 (Unaudited)
 Six Months Ended June 30,
 2024  Year-over-year %
Growth
 2023  Year-over-year %
Growth
Average WSEs125,892  3.4% 121,749  2.1%
Ending WSEs130,046  2.1% 127,336  2.8%
          

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 8,000 clients across all lines of business and is licensed to operate 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 of the Company to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect future results include: economic conditions in the Company’s service areas; the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the effects of inflation on our operating expenses and those of our clients; the availability of certain fully insured medical and other health and welfare benefits to qualifying worksite employees; the effect of changes in the Company’s mix of services on gross margin; the Company’s ability to attract and retain clients and to achieve revenue growth; the availability of financing or other sources of capital; the Company’s relationship with its primary bank lender; 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 benefits costs; litigation costs; security breaches or failures in the Company’s information technology systems; the collectability of accounts receivable; changes in executive management; changes in effective payroll tax rates and federal and state income tax rates; the carrying value of deferred income tax assets and goodwill; the outcome of tax audits; the effects of conditions in the global capital markets on the Company’s investment portfolio; and the potential for and effect of acquisitions, among others. Other important factors that may affect the Company’s prospects are described in the Company’s 2023 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)
 
 June 30,  December 31, 
(in thousands)2024  2023 
ASSETS     
Current assets:     
Cash and cash equivalents$40,348  $71,168 
Investments 70,100   81,027 
Trade accounts receivable, net 211,565   171,407 
Income taxes receivable 1,184   7,987 
Prepaid expenses and other 17,459   18,443 
Restricted cash and investments 80,818   97,470 
Total current assets 421,474   447,502 
Property, equipment and software, net 54,240   50,295 
Operating lease right-of-use assets 20,278   19,898 
Restricted cash and investments 133,617   145,583 
Goodwill 47,820   47,820 
Other assets 6,352   6,222 
Deferred income taxes 4,806   4,218 
Total assets$688,587  $721,538 
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY     
Current liabilities:     
Accounts payable$4,396  $6,593 
Accrued payroll, payroll taxes and related benefits 250,630   234,080 
Current operating lease liabilities 6,245   6,623 
Current premium payable 16,134   35,276 
Other accrued liabilities 10,496   10,674 
Workers' compensation claims liabilities 44,929   50,006 
Total current liabilities 332,830   343,252 
Long-term workers' compensation claims liabilities 104,701   117,757 
Long-term premium payable 27,127   37,812 
Long-term operating lease liabilities 15,220   14,590 
Customer deposits and other long-term liabilities 9,748   8,987 
Stockholders' equity 198,961   199,140 
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity$688,587  $721,538 
 


Barrett Business Services, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)
 
 Three Months Ended  Six Months Ended 
 June 30,  June 30, 
(in thousands, except per share amounts)2024  2023  2024  2023 
Revenues:           
Professional employer services$259,887  $244,256  $506,076  $476,563 
Staffing services 19,764   20,374   39,357   42,734 
Total revenues 279,651   264,630   545,433   519,297 
Cost of revenues:           
Direct payroll costs 14,693   15,110   29,410   31,981 
Payroll taxes and benefits 148,810   134,109   310,705   278,691 
Workers' compensation 48,251   48,365   97,854   100,035 
Total cost of revenues 211,754   197,584   437,969   410,707 
Gross margin 67,897   67,046   107,464   108,590 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 45,577   43,808   87,991   85,034 
Depreciation and amortization 1,912   1,729   3,764   3,406 
Income from operations 20,408   21,509   15,709   20,150 
Other income (expense):           
Investment income, net 3,069   2,129   6,343   4,444 
Interest expense (44)     (88)  (38)
Other, net 27   19   93   55 
Other income, net 3,052   2,148   6,348   4,461 
Income before income taxes 23,460   23,657   22,057   24,611 
Provision for income taxes 6,759   6,641   5,492   6,776 
Net income$16,701  $17,016  $16,565  $17,835 
Basic income per common share(1)$0.64  $0.63  $0.63  $0.65 
Weighted average basic common shares outstanding(1) 26,067   27,005   26,174   27,235 
Diluted income per common share(1)$0.62  $0.62  $0.62  $0.64 
Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding(1) 26,765   27,500   26,794   27,721 
 

(1) Prior period results have been adjusted to reflect the Stock Split.

Investor Relations:
Gateway Group, Inc.
Cody Slach
Tel 1-949-574-3860
BBSI@gateway-grp.com