Business First Bancshares (BFST) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $789.84M
• Dividend Yield: 2.12%
• Average Volume (3M): 130.33K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 10.2
• Beta (1Y): 0.89
• Revenue Growth: 17.99%
• EPS Growth: 11.08%
• Country: US
• Employees: 849
• Sector: Financial
• Sector Strength: 70
• Industry: Banks - Regional
• EPS (TTM): 0.72
• Shares Outstanding: 29,615,370
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 162,832
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 130,328
• PEG Ratio: -0.78
• Price to Book (P/B): 0.84
• Price to Sales (P/S): 1.47
• P/FCF Ratio: 11.28
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 1.13
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 1.76
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 2.99
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 8.16
• 1Y Price Target: $32.33
• Price Target Upside: 21.22% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Strong Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 3
• EPS Forecast (FY): N/A
• Revenue Forecast (FY): N/A

• Rating: 70 Outperform
• Price Target: $28.00 ▲(4.99% Upside)

The score is primarily driven by solid financial performance (profitability and improving free cash flow) and supportive valuation (low P/E with a dividend). These positives are tempered by weaker near-term technical momentum (RSI/Stoch signaling weakness and price below the 20-day average), while a generally positive earnings outlook and the completed merger integration provide additional support.

Positive Factors

Operational Excellence

The successful conversion of banking systems demonstrates strong operational capabilities, enhancing efficiency and scalability, which supports long-term growth and competitiveness.

Dividend Growth

Consistent dividend increases reflect financial stability and management's commitment to returning value to shareholders, indicating confidence in sustained profitability.

Cash Flow Growth

Robust cash flow growth enhances financial flexibility, enabling strategic investments and debt reduction, supporting long-term business resilience.

Negative Factors

Decline in Total Loans

A decline in total loans can signal reduced lending activity, potentially impacting future interest income and growth prospects.

Revenue Decline

A decrease in revenue suggests challenges in maintaining market share or pricing power, which could affect long-term profitability and growth.

Low Operating Cash Flow Coverage

Low operating cash flow coverage indicates potential liquidity constraints, which may limit the company's ability to invest in growth or weather economic downturns.

Business First Bancshares Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

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.

How the Company Makes Money

Business First Bancshares generates revenue primarily through interest income from loans and investment securities. The bank extends various types of loans, including commercial real estate, consumer loans, and small business loans, which yield interest payments. Additionally, BFST earns non-interest income through service fees, transaction fees, and wealth management services. The company also benefits from deposit accounts, which provide liquidity and allow it to fund loans while managing its interest margin. Strategic partnerships with local businesses and community organizations enhance its market presence and customer acquisition, further contributing to its revenue streams.

Business First Bancshares Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Business First Bancshares demonstrates solid profitability and cash flow management, with strong net profit and cash flow growth. However, declining revenue and low operating cash flow coverage pose challenges. The balance sheet is stable, but further equity growth could enhance financial resilience.

Income Statement

The income statement shows a strong net profit margin of 17.26% for TTM, indicating profitability. However, revenue has decreased by 3.58% in the TTM period, which is a concern. EBIT and EBITDA margins are healthy, suggesting efficient operations despite the revenue decline.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet reflects a moderate debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, indicating manageable leverage. Return on equity is 9.78%, showing decent profitability. The equity ratio is not explicitly provided, but overall, the balance sheet suggests stability with some room for improvement in equity growth.

Cash Flow

Cash flow analysis reveals a strong free cash flow growth of 16.07% in the TTM period, indicating improved cash generation. The free cash flow to net income ratio is high at 0.98, suggesting efficient cash conversion. However, the operating cash flow to net income ratio is low, which could be a potential risk.

Breakdown	TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	509.73M	457.75M	385.62M	264.08M	203.11M	168.78M
Gross Profit	299.45M	259.50M	242.94M	216.65M	178.51M	135.24M
EBITDA	109.86M	88.31M	95.26M	73.41M	68.72M	39.95M
Net Income	81.99M	65.11M	71.04M	54.26M	52.14M	29.99M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	7.95B	7.86B	6.58B	5.99B	4.73B	4.16B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	446.80M	347.76M	1.11B	1.04B	1.09B	789.74M
Total Debt	494.89M	483.26M	635.07M	560.12M	187.59M	105.99M
Total Liabilities	7.08B	7.06B	5.94B	5.41B	4.29B	3.75B
Stockholders Equity	878.44M	799.47M	644.26M	580.48M	433.37M	409.96M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	90.98M	59.84M	80.78M	61.80M	52.47M	26.37M
Operating Cash Flow	92.49M	61.40M	92.43M	69.58M	56.44M	29.34M
Investing Cash Flow	-39.76M	-294.91M	-521.14M	-700.52M	-675.35M	-475.30M
Financing Cash Flow	133.15M	326.50M	502.08M	715.31M	538.15M	505.72M

Business First Bancshares Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 26.67
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Positive
• MACD: Positive
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For BFST, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 26.67 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 27.02, above the 50-day MA of 26.03, and above the 200-day MA of 24.37, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of >-0.01 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 52.50 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 44.85 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for BFST.

Business First Bancshares Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
FSBC	80 Outperform	$790.17M	13.73	13.95%	2.18%	22.24%	18.63%
TRST	78 Outperform	$777.68M	13.91	8.35%	3.48%	5.75%	20.52%
HTB	76 Outperform	$771.72M	12.06	10.88%	1.12%	0.21%	14.54%
MPB	72 Outperform	$729.98M	12.93	7.31%	2.58%	12.09%	-15.97%
BFST	70 Outperform	$789.84M	10.19	10.39%	2.12%	17.99%	11.08%
GSBC	68 Neutral	$709.18M	10.38	11.18%	2.48%	0.67%	17.88%
Sector *	68 Neutral	$18.00B	11.42	9.92%	3.81%	9.73%	1.22%

Business First Bancshares Corporate Events

Business First Bancshares Completes Progressive Bancorp Merger Integration

On January 1, 2026, Business First Bancshares completed its merger with Progressive Bancorp, with Progressive and its subsidiary Progressive Bank absorbed into Business First and b1BANK, respectively, in an all-stock transaction that delivered approximately 3.2 million Business First shares to Progressive shareholders and converted existing Progressive equity awards into merger consideration. The deal, announced in a January 5, 2026 press release, lifts Business First’s balance sheet to roughly $8.7 billion in assets, $6.6 billion in loans and $7.2 billion in deposits, adding nine North Louisiana locations and bolstering the group’s presence in that region, while also bringing Progressive’s longtime chairman and CEO George W. Cummings III onto the boards of both Business First and b1BANK and naming Progressive president David Hampton as b1BANK’s vice chairman for the North Louisiana market, moves that deepen local leadership and are expected to strengthen the bank’s competitive positioning in Louisiana.

The most recent analyst rating on (BFST) stock is a Buy with a $30.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Business First Bancshares stock, see the BFST Stock Forecast page.

Business First Bancshares Q3 2025 Financial Results Announced

On October 23, 2025, Business First Bancshares announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2025, reporting a net income of $21.5 million, an increase from the previous quarter. The company also declared dividends for both preferred and common shareholders, reflecting its strong financial performance and operational execution, including the successful conversion of Oakwood Bank systems. The board approved a $0.01 increase in the quarterly common dividend, and the company saw growth in deposits and securities, despite a decrease in loans held for investment. The company’s credit quality metrics stabilized, and shareholders’ equity increased, driven by earnings and positive fair value adjustments in the securities portfolio.

The most recent analyst rating on (BFST) stock is a Buy with a $27.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Business First Bancshares stock, see the BFST Stock Forecast page.