The stock of Barrett Business Services (NAS:BBSI, 30-year Financials) is believed to be fairly valued, according to GuruFocus Value calculation. GuruFocus Value is GuruFocus' estimate of the fair value at which the stock should be traded. It is calculated based on the historical multiples that the stock has traded at, the past business growth and analyst estimates of future business performance. If the price of a stock is significantly above the GF Value Line, it is overvalued and its future return is likely to be poor. On the other hand, if it is significantly below the GF Value Line, its future return will likely be higher. At its current price of $74.77 per share and the market cap of $565.7 million, Barrett Business Services stock gives every indication of being fairly valued. GF Value for Barrett Business Services is shown in the chart below.
Because Barrett Business Services is fairly valued, the long-term return of its stock is likely to be close to the rate of its business growth, which is estimated to grow 0.72% annually over the next three to five years.
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Investing in companies with poor financial strength has a higher risk of permanent loss of capital. Thus, it is important to carefully review the financial strength of a company before deciding whether to buy its stock. Looking at the cash-to-debt ratio and interest coverage is a great starting point for understanding the financial strength of a company. Barrett Business Services has a cash-to-debt ratio of 5.08, which is better than 73% of the companies in Business Services industry. GuruFocus ranks the overall financial strength of Barrett Business Services at 7 out of 10, which indicates that the financial strength of Barrett Business Services is fair. This is the debt and cash of Barrett Business Services over the past years:
It is less risky to invest in profitable companies, especially those with consistent profitability over long term. A company with high profit margins is usually a safer investment than those with low profit margins. Barrett Business Services has been profitable 9 over the past 10 years. Over the past twelve months, the company had a revenue of $880.2 million and earnings of $4.24 a share. Its operating margin is 4.05%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Business Services industry. Overall, the profitability of Barrett Business Services is ranked 6 out of 10, which indicates fair profitability. This is the revenue and net income of Barrett Business Services over the past years:
One of the most important factors in the valuation of a company is growth. Long-term stock performance is closely correlated with growth according to GuruFocus research. Companies that grow faster create more value for shareholders, especially if that growth is profitable. The average annual revenue growth of Barrett Business Services is -2%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Business Services industry. The 3-year average EBITDA growth is 6%, which ranks in the middle range of the companies in Business Services industry.
Another way to look at the profitability of a company is to compare its return on invested capital and the weighted cost of capital. Return on invested capital (ROIC) measures how well a company generates cash flow relative to the capital it has invested in its business. The weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is the rate that a company is expected to pay on average to all its security holders to finance its assets. We want to have the return on invested capital higher than the weighted cost of capital. For the past 12 months, Barrett Business Services’s return on invested capital is 5.56, and its cost of capital is 10.96. The historical ROIC vs WACC comparison of Barrett Business Services is shown below:
In summary, Barrett Business Services (NAS:BBSI, 30-year Financials) stock gives every indication of being fairly valued. The company's financial condition is fair and its profitability is fair. Its growth ranks in the middle range of the companies in Business Services industry. To learn more about Barrett Business Services stock, you can check out its 30-year Financials here.
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