Business First Bancshares Inc (BFST)
NASDAQ:BFST
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BFST Stock Chart & Stats
$29.00
-$0.21(-0.86%)
At close: 4:00 PM EST
$29.00
-$0.21(-0.86%)
Day’s Range― - ―
52-Week Range$22.52 - $30.32
Previous CloseN/A
Volume13.10K
Average Volume (3M)130.33K
Market Cap
$877.08M
Enterprise Value$679.31M
Total Cash (Recent Filing)$1.21B
Total Debt (Recent Filing)$384.52M
Price to Earnings (P/E)9.3
Beta0.93
Next Earnings
Jul 23, 2026EPS Estimate
0.7Next Dividend Ex-DateN/A
Dividend Yield2.12%
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)2.82
Shares Outstanding32,677,967
10 Day Avg. Volume162,832
30 Day Avg. Volume130,328
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.38
Price to Book (P/B)0.86
Price to Sales (P/S)1.51
P/FCF Ratio8.39
Enterprise Value/Market Cap0.77
Enterprise Value/Revenue1.31
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit2.12
Enterprise Value/Ebitda5.60
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$33.00Price Target Upside13.79% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering1
EPS Forecast (FY)3.01
Revenue Forecast (FY)$376.29M
Bulls Say, Bears Say
Bulls Say
Multi-year Revenue GrowthSustained revenue expansion over multiple years demonstrates durable market penetration and scaling of core banking products. Higher top-line supports operating leverage and investment in technology/teams, making future profitability less dependent on one-time items and aiding long-term franchise value.
Improved Capitalization & LeverageMaterial decline in leverage and rising equity improves regulatory buffers and financial flexibility. Stronger capitalization lowers solvency risk, enables M&A, supports opportunistic buybacks and subordinated capital issuance, and reduces probability of forced asset sales under stress.
Strategic M&A And Deposit InflowsAcquisition meaningfully expands footprint and scale while large deposit inflows improve low-cost funding mix. Combined with an $85M Tier 2 raise and debt refinancings, this shows active balance-sheet optimisation and enhances capacity to fund loan growth and technology investments over the medium term.
Bears Say
Rising Nonperforming AssetsA higher NPL/NPA ratio signals increased credit remediation needs and potential for elevated provisioning. Uncertain timing of resolution means reserves could rise in coming quarters, pressuring net income, capital ratios, and management bandwidth focused on workouts rather than growth initiatives.
Weak Organic Loan GrowthSignificant paydowns outpacing originations highlight dependence on acquisition-driven growth and make NII growth volatile. Persistent organic contraction undermines long-term revenue visibility, raises customer concentration and geographic risks (noted in Texas), and could force margin or pricing trade-offs to regain production.
Margin Compression & Lower AccretionNIM erosion versus prior peaks and materially lower accretion reduce structural earning power. With less accretion offset and modest NIM headwinds, sustaining prior ROE levels will require continued cost discipline or stronger loan growth; margin sensitivity to rates and credit mix is a durable earnings risk.
Business First Bancshares News
BFST FAQ
What was Business First Bancshares Inc’s price range in the past 12 months?
Business First Bancshares Inc lowest stock price was $22.52 and its highest was $30.32 in the past 12 months.
What is Business First Bancshares Inc’s market cap?
Business First Bancshares Inc’s market cap is $877.08M.
When is Business First Bancshares Inc’s upcoming earnings report date?
Business First Bancshares Inc’s upcoming earnings report date is Jul 23, 2026 which is in 64 days.
How were Business First Bancshares Inc’s earnings last quarter?
Business First Bancshares Inc released its earnings results on Apr 27, 2026. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.686 by $0.044.
Is Business First Bancshares Inc overvalued?
According to Wall Street analysts Business First Bancshares Inc’s price is currently Undervalued.
Does Business First Bancshares Inc pay dividends?
Business First Bancshares Inc pays a Quarterly dividend of $0.15 which represents an annual dividend yield of 2.12%. See more information on Business First Bancshares Inc dividends here
What is Business First Bancshares Inc’s EPS estimate?
Business First Bancshares Inc’s EPS estimate is 0.7.
How many shares outstanding does Business First Bancshares Inc have?
Business First Bancshares Inc has 32,677,967 shares outstanding.
What happened to Business First Bancshares Inc’s price movement after its last earnings report?
Business First Bancshares Inc reported an EPS of $0.73 in its last earnings report, beating expectations of $0.686. Following the earnings report the stock price went down -4.423%.
Which hedge fund is a major shareholder of Business First Bancshares Inc?
Currently, no hedge funds are holding shares in BFST
What is the TipRanks Smart Score and how is it calculated?
Smart Score combines eight research factors - such as analyst recommendations, hedge fund trends, and technical indicators - to measure a stock’s outlook. These signals are unified into a single score that reflects bullish or bearish momentum. See detailed methodology
Business First Bancshares Stock Smart Score
Neutral
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Analyst Consensus
Moderate Buy
Average Price Target:
$33.00 (13.79% Upside)
$33.00 (13.79% Upside)
Blogger Sentiment
Bullish
BFST Sentiment 100%
Sector Average ―
Sector Average ―
Hedge Fund Trend
Increased
By 180.7K Shares
Last Quarter.
Last Quarter.
Insider Transactions
Sold Shares
Worth $1.1M over
the Last 3 Months
the Last 3 Months
Technicals
SMA
Positive
20 days / 200 days
Momentum
7.18%
12-Months-Change
Fundamentals
Return on Equity
10.06%
Trailing 12-Months
Asset Growth
14.41%
Trailing 12-Months
Company Description
Business First Bancshares Inc
Business First Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for b1BANK that provides various banking products and services. It offers various deposit products and services, including checking, demand, money market, time, and savings accounts; and certificates of deposits, remote deposit capture, and direct deposit services. The company also provides commercial and industrial loans, such as commercial lines of credit, letters of credit, working capital, term, equipment financing, asset acquisition, expansion and development, borrowing base, and other loan products; construction and development loans; commercial real estate loans; residential real estate loans comprising first and second lien 1-4 family mortgage loans, and home equity lines of credit; and consumer loans, including secured and unsecured installment and term loans. In addition, it offers wealth management products, including mutual funds, annuities, individual retirement accounts, and other financial products, as well as other fiduciary services and private banking products and services. Further, the company provides a range of other financial services comprising debit and credit cards, treasury and cash management, merchant, automated clearing house, lock-box, receivables factoring, correspondent banking, and other treasury services, as well as employee and payroll benefits solutions; and drive-through banking facilities, automated teller machines, night depository, personalized checks, electronic funds transfer, domestic and foreign wire transfer, traveler's checks, vault, loan and deposit sweep accounts, online and mobile banking, e-statements, and bank-by-mail services. As of March 01, 2022, it operates approximately 48 full-service banking centers and three loan production offices across Louisiana, and in the Dallas and Houston markets. Business First Bancshares, Inc. was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
BFST Company Deck
BFST Earnings Call
Q1 2026
0:00 / 0:00
Earnings Call Sentiment|Positive
The call conveyed a broadly positive tone: management reported solid first-quarter profitability (GAAP net income $22.2M; core EPS $0.73), meaningful deposit inflows, a strategic acquisition that expanded the franchise by $774M and 9 branches, successful capital actions including an $85M subordinated debt raise and opportunistic buybacks, and ongoing investments in talent and technology (Agentic AI partnership). Offsetting items included near-term loan growth pressure driven by elevated paydowns/payoffs ($579M) and a rise in nonperforming assets (NPLs to 1.53%), modest margin headwinds (NIM down ~4–6 bps), and expected incremental hiring-related expenses before Progressive cost saves fully materialize. Management reiterated guidance and expects gradual margin improvement and staged NPA resolution over the coming quarters. Overall, positives (scale, deposits, earnings, capital moves, and strategic hires) outweigh manageable near-term credit and margin headwinds.View all BFST earnings summariesBFST Stock 12 Month Forecast
Average Price Target
$33.00
▲(13.79% Upside)
Technical Analysis
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Five Star
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Ownership Overview
5.28% Insiders
16.76% Mutual Funds
9.15% Other Institutional Investors
53.60% Public Companies and
Individual Investors
Options Prices
Currently, No data available
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