Filing Flows › TrueBlue (TBI) › Takeover & LBO
Is TrueBlue (TBI) a takeover target?
A leveraged buyout does not work for TrueBlue on its latest figures: it has no positive EBITDA to borrow against (−$8.8M over the last 12 months, on revenue of $1.8B).
Why a leveraged buyout does not fit
A leveraged buyout is paid for mostly with debt that the company's own cash flow repays. TrueBlue's EBITDA over the last 12 months was −$8.8M on revenue of $1.8B, so there is nothing to lend against and nothing to repay a loan with: a buyer would have to pay almost entirely with its own money. That is the kind of deal another company — a strategic buyer that wants the products, the pipeline or the technology — makes, not a private-equity fund. The model therefore gives no buyout price.
What a takeover could cost
Takeovers in its sector paid a median premium of 40% over the share price before the deal (the middle half 14.7% to 60.2%), according to the 20 merger proxies and tender-offer responses on EDGAR that state a premium. At the median, TrueBlue would cost about $13.68 a share, $446M for all its shares.
| Premium | % | Price a share | All shares |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low end (a quarter of deals paid less) | 14.7% | $11.21 | $366M |
| Median | 40% | $13.68 | $446M |
| High end (a quarter paid more) | 60.2% | $15.65 | $511M |
TrueBlue's latest quarter
TrueBlue, Q3 2026: revenue $521M (+21% year over year), operating margin 2.3%, net earnings $9.2M, operating cash flow −$26.1M. The chart follows the revenue to costs, profit and cash.
Questions
Is TrueBlue being acquired?
No headline, 8-K or 13D about a sale is on file in the last year.
Could private equity buy TrueBlue?
A leveraged buyout does not work for TrueBlue on its latest figures: it has no positive EBITDA to borrow against (−$8.8M over the last 12 months, on revenue of $1.8B). With no cash flow to repay a loan, a buyer would pay almost entirely with its own money: a deal for another company (a strategic buyer), not for a private-equity fund.
What would a takeover of TrueBlue cost?
Takeovers in its sector paid a median premium of 40% over the share price before the deal (the middle half 14.7% to 60.2%), according to the 20 merger proxies and tender-offer responses on EDGAR that state a premium. At the median, TrueBlue would cost about $13.68 a share, $446M for all its shares.
Updated Nov 8, 2026. Read automatically from SEC filings and public data; errors are possible. Not investment advice.