Form: 8-K

Current report filing

February 28, 2024

 

 

EXHIBIT 99.1

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BBSI Reports Strong Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Financial Results

 

- Q4 2023 Net Income of $14.6 Million, or $2.16 per Diluted Share -

- Full Year 2023 Net Income of $50.6 Million, or $7.39 per Diluted Share -

 

VANCOUVER, Washington, February 28, 2024 – Barrett Business Services, Inc. (“BBSI” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BBSI), a leading provider of business management solutions, reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2023.

 

Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Summary vs. Prior Year Quarter

Revenues up 2% to $276.7 million.
Gross billings up 5% to $2.05 billion.
Average worksite employees (“WSEs”) up 2%.
Increase in net income to $14.6 million, or $2.16 per diluted share, compared to $11.5 million, or $1.64 per diluted share.

 

Full Year 2023 Financial Summary vs. 2022

Revenues up 1% to $1.07 billion.
Gross billings up 4% to $7.72 billion.
Average WSEs up 2%.
Net income of $50.6 million, or $7.39 per diluted share, compared to $47.3 million, or $6.54 per diluted share.

 

“2023 was another year of significant accomplishments and solid execution for BBSI,” said BBSI President and CEO, Gary Kramer. “During the year, we experienced consistent momentum in our sales pipeline, bringing in a record number of new WSEs from new customer additions, and we continued the trend of strong client retention. These results underscore our compelling product, now enhanced with a health benefits offering, and increased effectiveness in our sales and marketing efforts. We expect the momentum of strong controllable growth to continue into 2024 as our value proposition continues to improve.”

 

Fourth Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Revenues in the fourth quarter of 2023 increased 2% to $276.7 million compared to $272.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2022.

 

Total gross billings in the fourth quarter increased 5% to $2.05 billion compared to $1.95 billion in the same year-ago quarter (see “Key Performance Metrics” below). The increase was driven by growth in PEO services, specifically increased WSEs from net new clients and higher average billings per WSE, offset in part by reductions in WSEs at existing clients.

 

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Workers’ compensation expense as a percent of gross billings was 2.6% in the fourth quarter of 2023 and benefited from favorable prior year liability and premium adjustments of $5.4 million. This compares to 3.0% in the fourth quarter of 2022, which included favorable prior year liability and premium adjustments of $0.6 million.

 

Net income for the fourth quarter of 2023 increased to $14.6 million, or $2.16 per diluted share, compared to $11.5 million, or $1.64 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.

 

Full Year 2023 Financial Results

Revenues in 2023 increased 1% to $1.07 billion compared to $1.05 billion in 2022.

 

Total gross billings in 2023 increased 4% to $7.72 billion compared to $7.39 billion in 2022 (see “Key Performance Metrics” below). The increase was primarily due to an increase in average WSEs and higher average billings per WSE, offset in part by reductions in WSEs at existing clients.

Workers’ compensation expense as a percent of gross billings was 2.7% in 2023 and benefited from favorable prior year liability and premium adjustments of $14.9 million. This compares to 2.9% in 2022, which included favorable prior year liability and premium adjustments of $13.4 million.

Net income in 2023 increased to $50.6 million, or $7.39 per diluted share, compared to $47.3 million, or $6.54 per diluted share, in 2022.

 

Liquidity

As of December 31, 2023, unrestricted cash and investments were $152.2 million compared to $129.2 million at September 30, 2023. BBSI remained debt free at year end.

 

Capital Allocation

BBSI’s board of directors has confirmed its regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.30 per share. The cash dividend will be paid on March 28, 2024, to all stockholders of record as of March 15, 2024.

Continuing under the Company’s stock repurchase program established in July 2023, BBSI repurchased 45,800 shares in the fourth quarter at an average price of $111.38. At December 31, 2023, approximately $59.0 million remained available under the repurchase program.

In total in 2023, BBSI repurchased more than $34 million of stock at an average price of $91.15 per share. The Company also paid over $8 million in dividends for the year, bringing total capital returned to shareholders in 2023 to more than $42 million.

 

Outlook

In 2024, BBSI expects the following:

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 2.95% to 3.15%
Effective annual tax rate to remain at 26% to 27%

 

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Conference Call

BBSI will conduct a conference call on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (2:00 p.m. Pacific time) to discuss its financial results for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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

Date: Wednesday, February 28, 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: 13744439

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 March 28, 2024.

Toll-free replay number: 1-844-512-2921
International replay number: 1-412-317-6671
Replay ID: 13744439

 

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 twelve months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022.

 

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended December 31,

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

(in thousands)

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Gross billings

 

$

2,051,922

 

 

$

1,948,591

 

 

$

7,716,152

 

 

$

7,393,808

 

PEO and staffing wages

 

$

1,791,792

 

 

$

1,697,514

 

 

$

6,711,115

 

 

$

6,425,286

 

 

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.

 

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(Unaudited)

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

Percentage of Gross Billings

 

Percentage of Gross Billings

 

 

Three Months Ended December 31,

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

2023

 

2022

 

2023

 

 

2022

PEO and staffing wages

 

87.3%

 

87.1%

 

87.0%

 

 

86.9%

Payroll taxes and benefits

 

6.9%

 

6.8%

 

7.2%

 

 

7.0%

Workers' compensation

 

2.6%

 

3.0%

 

2.7%

 

 

2.9%

Gross margin

 

3.2%

 

3.1%

 

3.1%

 

 

 

3.2%

 

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 December 31,

 

 

2023

 

 

% Change

 

2022

 

 

% Change

 

2021

 

Average WSEs

 

 

126,492

 

 

2.2%

 

 

123,761

 

 

6.0%

 

 

116,791

 

Ending WSEs

 

 

126,446

 

 

3.4%

 

 

122,306

 

 

5.3%

 

 

116,154

 

 

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

Year Ended December 31,

 

 

2023

 

 

% Change

 

2022

 

 

% Change

 

2021

 

Average WSEs

 

 

124,306

 

 

1.9%

 

 

122,001

 

 

8.0%

 

 

112,928

 

Ending WSEs

 

 

126,446

 

 

3.4%

 

 

122,306

 

 

5.3%

 

 

116,154

 

 

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. For more information, please visit www.bbsi.com.

 

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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; 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 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 2022 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.

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Barrett Business Services, Inc.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

December 31,

 

(in thousands)

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current assets:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

71,168

 

 

$

91,423

 

Investments

 

 

81,027

 

 

 

68,325

 

Trade accounts receivable, net

 

 

171,407

 

 

 

163,838

 

Income taxes receivable

 

 

7,987

 

 

 

 

Prepaid expenses and other

 

 

18,443

 

 

 

19,787

 

Restricted cash and investments

 

 

97,470

 

 

 

110,989

 

Total current assets

 

 

447,502

 

 

 

454,362

 

Property, equipment and software, net

 

 

50,295

 

 

 

45,954

 

Operating lease right-of-use assets

 

 

19,898

 

 

 

19,804

 

Restricted cash and investments

 

 

145,583

 

 

 

104,277

 

Goodwill

 

 

47,820

 

 

 

47,820

 

Other assets

 

 

6,222

 

 

 

3,281

 

Deferred income taxes

 

 

4,218

 

 

 

11,440

 

Total assets

 

$

721,538

 

 

$

686,938

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

Current liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

6,593

 

 

$

8,264

 

Accrued payroll, payroll taxes and related benefits

 

 

234,080

 

 

 

222,331

 

Income taxes payable

 

 

 

 

 

610

 

Current operating lease liabilities

 

 

6,623

 

 

 

6,957

 

Current premium payable

 

 

35,276

 

 

 

18,920

 

Other accrued liabilities

 

 

9,412

 

 

 

12,683

 

Workers' compensation claims liabilities

 

 

50,006

 

 

 

62,917

 

Safety incentives liability

 

 

1,262

 

 

 

2,049

 

Total current liabilities

 

 

343,252

 

 

 

334,731

 

Long-term workers' compensation claims liabilities

 

 

117,757

 

 

 

153,070

 

Long-term premium payable

 

 

37,812

 

 

 

 

Long-term operating lease liabilities

 

 

14,590

 

 

 

14,225

 

Customer deposits and other long-term liabilities

 

 

8,987

 

 

 

7,070

 

Stockholders' equity

 

 

199,140

 

 

 

177,842

 

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

 

$

721,538

 

 

$

686,938

 

 

 

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Barrett Business Services, Inc.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

 

Year Ended

 

 

December 31,

 

 

December 31,

 

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

2023

 

 

2022

 

 

2023

 

 

2022

 

Revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Professional employer services

$

254,282

 

 

$

243,189

 

 

$

982,268

 

 

$

937,363

 

Staffing services

 

22,400

 

 

 

28,761

 

 

 

87,039

 

 

 

116,963

 

Total revenues

 

276,682

 

 

 

271,950

 

 

 

1,069,307

 

 

 

1,054,326

 

Cost of revenues:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Direct payroll costs

 

16,743

 

 

 

21,453

 

 

 

65,042

 

 

 

87,944

 

Payroll taxes and benefits

 

141,363

 

 

 

131,715

 

 

 

555,758

 

 

 

522,392

 

Workers' compensation

 

52,963

 

 

 

58,076

 

 

 

205,975

 

 

 

209,145

 

Total cost of revenues

 

211,069

 

 

 

211,244

 

 

 

826,775

 

 

 

819,481

 

Gross margin

 

65,613

 

 

 

60,706

 

 

 

242,532

 

 

 

234,845

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses

 

45,578

 

 

 

44,204

 

 

 

174,772

 

 

 

169,642

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

1,837

 

 

 

1,643

 

 

 

7,110

 

 

 

6,228

 

Income from operations

 

18,198

 

 

 

14,859

 

 

 

60,650

 

 

 

58,975

 

Other income (expense):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investment income, net

 

1,787

 

 

 

1,686

 

 

 

8,643

 

 

 

6,476

 

Interest expense

 

(48

)

 

 

(39

)

 

 

(166

)

 

 

(141

)

Other, net

 

(232

)

 

 

(77

)

 

 

(139

)

 

 

(7

)

Other income, net

 

1,507

 

 

 

1,570

 

 

 

8,338

 

 

 

6,328

 

Income before income taxes

 

19,705

 

 

 

16,429

 

 

 

68,988

 

 

 

65,303

 

Provision for income taxes

 

5,147

 

 

 

4,901

 

 

 

18,376

 

 

 

18,035

 

Net income

$

14,558

 

 

$

11,528

 

 

$

50,612

 

 

$

47,268

 

Basic income per common share

$

2.20

 

 

$

1.67

 

 

$

7.52

 

 

$

6.63

 

Weighted average basic common shares outstanding

 

6,605

 

 

 

6,918

 

 

 

6,731

 

 

 

7,130

 

Diluted income per common share

$

2.16

 

 

$

1.64

 

 

$

7.39

 

 

$

6.54

 

Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding

 

6,739

 

 

 

7,048

 

 

 

6,849

 

 

 

7,226

 

 

Investor Relations:

Gateway Group, Inc.

Cody Slach

Tel 1-949-574-3860

BBSI@gateway-grp.com

 

 

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