First Busey (BUSE) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $2.19B
• Dividend Yield: 4.03%
• Average Volume (3M): 506.15K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 22.0
• Beta (1Y): 0.99
• Revenue Growth: 26.75%
• EPS Growth: -42.01%
• Country: US
• Employees: 1,965
• Sector: Financial
• Sector Strength: 76
• Industry: Banks - Regional
• EPS (TTM): 0.52
• Shares Outstanding: 89,065,910
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 472,011
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 506,152
• PEG Ratio: N/A
• Price to Book (P/B): 0.00
• Price to Sales (P/S): 0.00
• P/FCF Ratio: 0.00
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 1.06
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 4.88
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 6.09
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 55.59
• 1Y Price Target: $27.60
• Price Target Upside: 13.02% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Moderate Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 5

• Rating: 71 Outperform
• Price Target: $26.00 ▲(6.47% Upside)

First Busey's overall score reflects strong financial stability and positive corporate actions, tempered by valuation concerns and potential risks from a tax dispute. The company's solid cash flow and strategic initiatives support its financial health, but profitability and valuation metrics suggest caution.

First Busey Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

First Busey Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Busey Bank that provides retail and commercial banking products and services to individual, corporate, institutional, and governmental customers in the United States. The company operates through three segments: Banking, FirsTech, and Wealth Management. It offers customary types of demand and savings deposits; and commercial, agricultural, real estate construction, commercial and residential real estate, and consumer loans, as well as home equity lines of credit. The company also provides money transfer, safe deposit, IRA, and other fiduciary services through banking center, ATM and technology-based networks. In addition, it offers investment management, trust, estate advisory, and financial planning services, as well as business succession and employee retirement planning services; investment strategy consulting and fiduciary services; and security brokerage services. Further, the company provides asset management, philanthropic advisory, tax preparation, and professional farm management services; and commercial depository services, such as cash management services. Additionally, it offers payment technology solutions through its payment platform, such as walk-in payment processing for customers at retail pay agents; online bill payment solutions; customer service payments accepted over the telephone; mobile bill pay; direct debit services; electronic concentration of payments delivered to automated clearing house network; money management and credit card networks; and lockbox remittance processing to make payments by mail, as well as provides tools related to billing, reconciliation, bill reminders, and treasury services. The company has 46 banking centers in Illinois; 8 in Missouri; 3 in southwest Florida; and 1 in Indianapolis, Indiana. First Busey Corporation was founded in 1868 and is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois.

How the Company Makes Money

First Busey generates revenue through several key streams. Primarily, the company earns interest income from loans provided to customers, including commercial, residential, and consumer loans. Additionally, it receives interest from investment securities. Non-interest income is another significant revenue source, which includes fees from services such as asset management, mortgage origination, and transaction fees. The company also benefits from its wealth management division, which provides advisory services and generates fees from managing client assets. Strategic partnerships with local businesses and community organizations further enhance its service offerings and customer base, contributing to overall earnings.

First Busey Financial Statement Overview

Summary

First Busey's financial statements indicate strong revenue growth and efficient operations as evidenced by high EBIT margins. The balance sheet is solid with low leverage and stable equity, though ROE has seen a decline. Cash flow generation is robust, providing a solid foundation for future growth. However, there are minor concerns with declining net profit margins and ROE, which could affect long-term profitability if trends continue.

Income Statement

The income statement shows a strong EBIT margin at 97.55% for 2024, indicating efficient operations relative to revenue. However, net profit margin has decreased slightly to 21.71% from 24.11% in 2023. The revenue growth rate is substantial at 930.14%, primarily due to a significant increase in total revenue from the previous year. This growth trajectory is positive, but the decline in net margins could indicate pressures on profitability.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet reflects a strong equity position with an equity ratio of 11.48%, though slightly lower than previous years. The debt-to-equity ratio is very low at 0.01, suggesting minimal leverage and financial risks. Return on equity stands at 8.22%, down from previous years, indicating reduced profitability on equity. Overall, the balance sheet is stable with low leverage, but there is room for improvement in ROE.

Cash Flow

Cash flow metrics show robust operating cash flow to net income ratio at 1.57, indicating healthy cash generation. The free cash flow to net income ratio is at 1.57 as well, demonstrating strong free cash flow relative to earnings. Free cash flow growth is positive but modest compared to prior periods, suggesting stability in cash flow management.

Breakdown	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	461.44M	439.44M	445.62M	403.50M	401.20M
Gross Profit	461.44M	440.67M	450.05M	403.50M	401.20M
EBITDA	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Net Income	113.69M	122.56M	128.31M	123.45M	100.34M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	12.05B	12.28B	12.34B	12.86B	10.54B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	1.94B	2.22B	227.16M	4.82B	2.95B
Total Debt	313.58M	336.18M	687.90M	368.68M	310.68M
Total Liabilities	10.66B	11.01B	11.19B	11.54B	9.27B
Stockholders Equity	1.38B	1.27B	1.15B	1.32B	1.27B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	171.84M	163.86M	160.80M	156.97M	158.98M
Operating Cash Flow	178.27M	173.39M	165.79M	162.01M	163.17M
Investing Cash Flow	657.90M	550.99M	-290.86M	-829.19M	-729.54M
Financing Cash Flow	-858.09M	-231.96M	-483.86M	814.74M	725.61M

First Busey Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 24.42
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Positive
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For BUSE, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 24.42 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 23.55, above the 50-day MA of 23.45, and above the 200-day MA of 22.86, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.42 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 62.34 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 79.21 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for BUSE.

First Busey Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
NBTB	80 Outperform	$2.32B	15.81	8.16%	3.16%	10.00%	7.35%
TRMK	80 Outperform	$2.43B	11.30	10.99%	2.37%	17.17%	―
OFG	78 Outperform	$1.99B	10.48	15.20%	2.47%	4.15%	4.39%
EFSC	77 Outperform	$2.24B	11.49	10.92%	1.89%	5.66%	16.11%
PPBI	72 Outperform	$2.38B	17.16	4.59%	5.39%	23.85%	―
BUSE	71 Outperform	$2.19B	21.96	4.14%	4.03%	26.75%	-42.01%
Sector *	68 Neutral	$17.79B	11.64	10.28%	3.76%	9.64%	1.17%

First Busey Corporate Events

First Busey Highlights Strong Financial Position August 2025

First Busey Corporation has released its investor highlights for August 2025, emphasizing its robust financial position and strategic focus on balance sheet strength. The company reported a total asset value of $18.9 billion and a total capital ratio of 15.8% as of the second quarter of 2025. It has successfully returned $26.5 million to shareholders via an active share repurchase plan by June 30, 2025. Busey also highlighted its diversified and conservatively underwritten commercial loan portfolio and its top three deposit market share in Central Illinois markets. The company continues to optimize profitability following its acquisition of CrossFirst Bankshares announced in August 2024, with a focus on maintaining a resilient liquidity profile and active risk management.

First Busey Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend

On August 8, 2025, First Busey Corporation announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.578646 per depositary share on its 8.25% Fixed-Rate Series B Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock. This dividend, payable on September 2, 2025, to stockholders of record as of August 18, 2025, reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to providing returns to its shareholders.

First Busey Reports Q2 Earnings Amid Tax Dispute

On July 22, 2025, First Busey Corporation announced its second-quarter earnings for 2025, reporting a net income of $47.4 million. The company is also dealing with a franchise tax dispute with the Illinois Secretary of State, which could potentially result in additional liabilities exceeding $28 million. Busey intends to contest the preliminary estimate and defend its position, which could impact its financial standing.

First Busey Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend

On July 8, 2025, First Busey Corporation announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share on its common stock, to be paid on July 25, 2025, to stockholders of record as of July 18, 2025. This declaration reflects the company’s commitment to returning value to its shareholders and may influence investor sentiment and market perception of the company’s financial health.

First Busey Redeems $125M Subordinated Notes

On May 29, 2025, First Busey Corporation held its Annual Meeting of Stockholders where 76.8% of shares were represented. The stockholders elected 13 directors, approved executive officer compensation, and ratified RSM US LLP as the independent accounting firm for 2025. Additionally, the board approved an amendment to increase the share repurchase program by 2,000,000 shares, allowing for up to 2,987,275 shares to be repurchased. On June 1, 2025, Busey redeemed $125 million of its 5.25% Subordinated Notes due 2030, impacting its financial strategy.