BBSI Reports Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

- Q2 Net Revenues up 3% to $231.6 Million (Gross Billings up 6%) -

VANCOUVER, Wash., Aug. 07, 2018 (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, 2018.

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Summary vs. Year-Ago Quarter

  • Net revenues up 3% to $231.6 million.
  • Gross billings up 6% to $1.4 billion.
  • Net income of $11.2 million, or $1.46 per diluted share, compared to net income of $11.1 million, or $1.47 per diluted share.

“Although we are experiencing headwinds to growth, we continue to see validation of our value proposition in support of the small business owner,” said Michael Elich, president and CEO of BBSI. “As evidence of this, we added a record 380 new clients in the quarter or 254 net new after runoff.”

BBSI CFO Gary Kramer said, “In addition, BBSI has reached an agreement in principle with the SEC Division of Enforcement staff for a full resolution of the investigation which began in 2016. With this resolution, we have turned the corner and have successfully executed our remediation plan.”

Second Quarter 2018 Financial Results

Net revenues in the second quarter of 2018 increased 3% to $231.6 million compared to $225.6 million in the second quarter of 2017.

Total gross billings in the second quarter increased 6% to $1.4 billion compared to $1.3 billion in the same year-ago quarter (see “Key Performance Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below). The increase was primarily due to the continued build in the Company’s PEO client count and same-customer sales growth, which was partially offset by a decrease in staffing revenue.

Selling, general and administrative expenses included higher legal expenses associated with the agreement in principle with the SEC Division of Enforcement staff for a full resolution of the matter, resulting in a civil penalty of $1.5 million, which is expected to be paid in the third quarter of 2018, pending final regulatory approval.     

Net income for the second quarter of 2018 was $11.2 million, or $1.46 per diluted share, compared to net income of $11.1 million, or $1.47 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.

Revised Outlook

For the full year 2018, the Company is adjusting the forecasted diluted earnings per share down by 14 cents from $4.45 to $4.31 to reflect the pending SEC settlement. The forecast continues to assume an effective tax rate of approximately 20%.

BBSI also now expects gross billings for the next rolling 12-month period to increase approximately 10% (14% in prior outlook) and 8% for 2018.

Conference Call

BBSI will conduct a conference call tomorrow, August 8, 2018, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (9:00 a.m. Pacific time) to discuss its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2018. The Company’s President and CEO Michael Elich and CFO Gary Kramer will host the call, followed by a question and answer period.

Date: Wednesday, August 8, 2018
Time: 12:00 p.m. Eastern time (9:00 a.m. Pacific time)
Toll-free dial-in number: 1-800-263-0877
International dial-in number: 1-646-828-8143
Conference ID: 5731062

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 Liolios Group at 1-949-574-3860.

The conference call will be broadcast live and available for replay here and via the investor relations section of the BBSI website at www.barrettbusiness.com.

A replay of the conference call will be available after 3:00 p.m. Eastern time on the same day through September 8, 2018.

Toll-free replay number: 1-844-512-2921
International replay number: 1-412-317-6671
Replay ID: 5731062

Key Performance Metrics and Non-GAAP Financial Measures                       

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 billing amounts and wages are useful in understanding the volume of our business activity and serve as an important performance metric 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 billing and wage information for the three and six months ended June 30, 2018 and 2017.

  (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)
  Three Months Ended June 30,   Six Months Ended June 30,
(in thousands)   2018       2017       2018       2017  
Gross Billings $ 1,379,483     $ 1,298,539     $ 2,699,327     $ 2,498,087  
PEO and staffing wages $ 1,165,860     $ 1,093,291     $ 2,280,567     $ 2,104,981  

Because safety incentives represent consideration payable to PEO customers, safety incentive costs are netted against PEO revenue in our consolidated statements of operations. Management considers safety incentives to be an integral part of our workers’ compensation program because they encourage client companies to maintain safe-work practices and minimize workplace injuries. We therefore present below for purposes of analysis non-GAAP gross workers’ compensation expense, which represents workers’ compensation costs including safety incentive costs. We believe this non-GAAP measure is useful in evaluating the total costs of our workers’ compensation program.

  (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)
  Three Months Ended June 30,   Six Months Ended June 30,
(in thousands)   2018       2017       2018       2017  
Workers' compensation $ 58,854     $ 58,928     $ 115,976     $ 114,365  
Safety incentive costs   8,039       8,160       15,604       14,732  
Non-GAAP gross workers' compensation $ 66,893     $ 67,088     $ 131,580     $ 129,097  

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,
    2018       2017       2018       2017  
PEO and staffing wages   84.5%       84.2%       84.5%       84.3%  
Payroll taxes and benefits   7.1%       7.2%       8.2%       8.4%  
Non-GAAP gross workers' compensation   4.8%       5.2%       4.9%       5.2%  

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 5,600 clients across all lines of business in 24 states. For more information, please visit www.barrettbusiness.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this release about future events or performance, including expectations regarding revenue growth, costs related to outstanding securities law issues, future effective tax rates, and earnings per share, are forward-looking statements which 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 effect of changes in the Company's mix of services on gross margin, the Company's ability to retain current clients and attract new clients, 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, the workers’ compensation regulatory environment in the Company’s primary markets, litigation costs, the effect of governmental investigations, security breaches or failures in the Company's information technology systems, the collectability of accounts receivable, changes in executive management, the carrying value of deferred income tax assets and goodwill, and the effect of conditions in the global capital markets on the Company’s investment portfolio, among others. Other important factors that may affect the Company’s prospects are described in the Company’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K. 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)     2018     2017
                       
  Assets        
  Current assets:        
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 33,786   $ 59,835
    Trade accounts receivable, net     152,560     136,664
    Income taxes receivable     2,329     1,686
    Prepaid expenses and other     9,824     5,724
    Investments     464     674
    Restricted cash and investments     108,196     103,652
      Total current assets     307,159     308,235
  Investments       1,578     1,199
  Property, equipment and software, net     26,148     24,909
  Restricted cash and investments     314,819     291,273
  Goodwill         47,820     47,820
  Other assets     3,169     3,215
  Deferred income taxes     7,762     5,834
                  $ 708,455   $ 682,485
                       
  Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity        
  Current liabilities:        
    Current portion of long-term debt   $ 221   $ 221
    Accounts payable     3,951     5,166
    Accrued payroll, payroll taxes and related benefits     186,172     181,639
    Other accrued liabilities     8,944     9,024
    Workers' compensation claims liabilities     102,539     97,673
    Safety incentives liability     28,064     28,532
      Total current liabilities     329,891     322,255
  Long-term workers' compensation claims liabilities     288,275     265,844
  Long-term debt     4,061     4,171
  Customer deposits and other long-term liabilities     1,353     1,381
  Stockholders' equity     84,875     88,834
                  $ 708,455   $ 682,485

Barrett Business Services, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Unaudited)

                (Unaudited)   (Unaudited)
(in thousands, except per share amounts)   Three Months Ended   Six Months Ended
                June 30,   June 30,
      2018     2017     2018       2017  
                             
Revenues:                    
  Professional employer service fees   $ 197,277   $ 187,718   $ 386,239     $ 359,927  
  Staffing services     34,326     37,856     69,340       75,644  
    Total revenues     231,603     225,574     455,579       435,571  
Cost of revenues:                
  Direct payroll costs     26,020     28,486     52,423       57,196  
  Payroll taxes and benefits     98,249     93,946     222,437       209,346  
  Workers' compensation     58,854     58,928     115,976       114,365  
    Total cost of revenues     183,123     181,360     390,836       380,907  
    Gross margin     48,480     44,214     64,743       54,664  
Selling, general and administrative expenses     35,614     28,060     65,043       54,670  
Depreciation and amortization     1,274     985     2,278       1,927  
    Income (loss) from operations     11,592     15,169     (2,578 )     (1,933 )
Other income     2,121     1,326     4,114       1,401  
    Income (loss) before income taxes     13,713     16,495     1,536       (532 )
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes     2,473     5,369     (581 )     (431 )
    Net income (loss)   $ 11,240   $ 11,126   $ 2,117     $ (101 )
Basic income (loss) per common share   $ 1.54   $ 1.53   $ 0.29     $ (0.01 )
Weighted average basic common shares outstanding     7,310     7,254     7,307       7,252  
Diluted  income (loss) per common share   $ 1.46   $ 1.47   $ 0.28     $ (0.01 )
Weighted average diluted common shares outstanding     7,675     7,550     7,658       7,252  
                             

Investor Relations:
Liolios
Cody Slach
Tel 1-949-574-3860
BBSI@liolios.com

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Source: Barrett Business Services Inc