TrueBlue, Inc. (NYSE:TBI) Position Boosted by Russell Investments Group Ltd.

Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its stake in TrueBlue, Inc. (NYSE:TBI - Free Report) by 189.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 147,200 shares of the business services provider's stock after acquiring an additional 96,340 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. owned approximately 0.50% of TrueBlue worth $1,236,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Royce & Associates LP boosted its holdings in shares of TrueBlue by 40.8% in the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 1,523,193 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $12,795,000 after purchasing an additional 441,108 shares during the last quarter. Advantage Alpha Capital Partners LP acquired a new position in TrueBlue in the fourth quarter valued at $1,980,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in TrueBlue during the fourth quarter valued at about $978,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in TrueBlue by 99.6% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 218,552 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $1,836,000 after acquiring an additional 109,041 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of TrueBlue in the 4th quarter worth about $478,000. 97.15% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, StockNews.com upgraded TrueBlue from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, March 2nd.

TrueBlue Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:TBI traded up $0.06 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $4.43. 248,228 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 234,797. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $5.52 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $6.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 1.85 and a current ratio of 1.73. TrueBlue, Inc. has a twelve month low of $3.95 and a twelve month high of $12.29. The company has a market cap of $131.61 million, a PE ratio of -1.06, a P/E/G ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 1.42.

TrueBlue (NYSE:TBI - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 19th. The business services provider reported ($0.02) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.16) by $0.14. TrueBlue had a negative return on equity of 3.90% and a negative net margin of 8.02%. The company had revenue of $385.95 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $385.04 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that TrueBlue, Inc. will post 0.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Taryn R. Owen acquired 12,735 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 26th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $5.94 per share, with a total value of $75,645.90. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 414,932 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,464,696.08. This represents a 3.17 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CFO Carl Schweihs bought 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 24th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $6.25 per share, for a total transaction of $62,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 166,551 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,040,943.75. The trade was a 6.39 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders purchased a total of 25,235 shares of company stock worth $151,271 in the last 90 days. 5.00% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About TrueBlue

TrueBlue, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides specialized workforce solutions in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Puerto Rico. It operates through three segments: PeopleReady, PeopleManagement, and PeopleScout. The company PeopleReady segment provides general, industrial, and skilled trade contingent staffing services for construction, transportation, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and renewable energy industries.