Barrett Business Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:BBSI) Position Decreased by Virtus Investment Advisers Inc.

Virtus Investment Advisers Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Barrett Business Services, Inc. (NASDAQ:BBSI) by 14.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 47,412 shares of the business services provider’s stock after selling 8,300 shares during the quarter. Barrett Business Services accounts for approximately 1.4% of Virtus Investment Advisers Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 9th largest holding. Virtus Investment Advisers Inc. owned about 0.18% of Barrett Business Services worth $1,778,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. boosted its holdings in Barrett Business Services by 236.4% during the third quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,834,452 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $68,810,000 after buying an additional 1,289,147 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of Barrett Business Services by 281.9% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 867,708 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $28,435,000 after acquiring an additional 640,508 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Barrett Business Services by 299.4% in the 2nd quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 798,500 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $26,167,000 after acquiring an additional 598,567 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in Barrett Business Services by 155.9% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 535,896 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $17,561,000 after purchasing an additional 326,502 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans acquired a new position in Barrett Business Services during the third quarter worth $16,422,000. 86.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Barrett Business Services Stock Down 1.8 %

BBSI opened at $43.54 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.98, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 1.42. Barrett Business Services, Inc. has a 52 week low of $27.06 and a 52 week high of $44.39. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $39.36 and its 200 day simple moving average is $36.10.

Barrett Business Services Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 6th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 22nd will be paid a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, November 22nd. This represents a $0.32 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.73%. Barrett Business Services’s payout ratio is currently 16.89%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on BBSI shares. Roth Mkm lifted their price target on Barrett Business Services from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 7th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Barrett Business Services from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Finally, Barrington Research increased their price target on shares of Barrett Business Services from $41.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 7th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Barrett Business Services

In other Barrett Business Services news, Director Thomas B. Cusick sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.41, for a total transaction of $130,230.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 27,776 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,205,756.16. This trade represents a 9.75 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Joseph Stephen Clabby purchased 1,635 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 12th. The stock was bought at an average price of $43.01 per share, for a total transaction of $70,321.35. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 11,327 shares in the company, valued at $487,174.27. The trade was a 16.87 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 3.70% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Barrett Business Services

Barrett Business Services, Inc provides business management solutions for small and mid-sized companies in the United States. The company develops a management platform that integrates a knowledge-based approach from the management consulting industry with tools from the human resource outsourcing industry.