# Barrett Business Services Inc. (BBSI) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NASDAQ, United States. Sector: Industrials / Professional Services. Price $33.91, market value $822 million.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 25.3×** (5-yr avg 16.2×, 3-yr avg 18.1×). Barrett Business Services Inc. trades at 25.3× trailing earnings, well above its own five-year average of 16.2×: investors are paying up relative to the company's past. The Industrials median in the September 2026 study was 25.7×. Forward P/E is 16.7×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **PEG: 3.32**. A PEG of 3.32 means the P/E is high relative to expected earnings growth; the price already assumes a lot.
- **Price / sales: 0.6×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 0.6×, a low multiple typical of thin-margin businesses or out-of-favour stocks.
- **Price / book: 4.0×**. The shares trade at 4.0× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 12.0×**. Enterprise value is 12.0× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 1.9%** (5-yr avg 1.8%). Free cash flow equals 1.9% of the market value, in line with its five-year average of 1.8%.
- **Earnings yield: 4.0%**. The inverse of the P/E: 4.0% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 20.0%**. Barrett Business Services Inc. keeps 20.0% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells, a thin margin typical of retail, distribution and commodity businesses.
- **Operating margin: 4.1%**. 4.1% of revenue is left after running the business, which leaves little cushion in a downturn.
- **Net margin: 4.4%**. 4.4% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 22.6%**. 22.6% on shareholders' equity is excellent if it is not driven by leverage; sustained above 20% usually signals a competitive advantage.
- **Return on invested capital: 27.6%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 27.6%: comfortably above what that capital costs.
- **Return on assets: 4.5%**. Each dollar of assets produces 4.5% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 8.4%** (3-yr 5.6%/yr, 5-yr 7.1%/yr). Revenue grew 8.4% over the last year, against 7.1% a year compounded over five years.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 5.1%** (3-yr 8.2%/yr, 5-yr 13.6%/yr). Earnings per share rose 5.1%, roughly in step with revenue.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): 58.7%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at 58.7% a year over three years, keeping pace with earnings: the growth is real cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.01**. Debt is 0.01 times equity: a conservative balance sheet.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: net cash**. Barrett Business Services Inc. holds more cash than debt.
- **Current ratio: 1.29** (quick 1.29). Current assets cover the next year's liabilities 1.29 times.
- **Altman Z-score: 3.39**. A Z-score of 3.39 places the company in the safe zone for bankruptcy risk.
- **Piotroski F-score: 6/9**. 6 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 0.94%** ($0.32 per share, trailing). Barrett Business Services Inc. yields 0.94%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 15%** (52% of free cash flow). 15% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving room to keep raising it.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 20**. 20 straight years of increases, a record that survived at least one recession.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): 1.3%/yr** (1-yr 3.2%). The dividend has grown 1.3% a year over five years.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): -30.5%** (YTD -5.8%, 3-mo 2.8%). The shares are down 30.5% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -28.9%** (33.9% above the low). Trading 29% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 45**. An RSI of 45 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.36** (volatility 40%). Beta of 0.36 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=BBSI · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/bbsi

Not investment advice.