Southern First Bancshares (SFST)
NASDAQ:SFST
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Southern First Bancshares
(NASDAQ:SFST)
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Rating:69Neutral
Price Target:
$62.00
▲(7.30% Upside)
Action:DowngradedDate:05/02/26
The score is driven primarily by improving financial performance (stronger margins/ROE, better leverage, solid cash generation), supported by reasonable valuation. Technicals are neutral with price holding above key longer-term moving averages. Corporate events are a net positive due to strong quarterly performance and added capital, tempered by potential dilution from the share offering.
Positive Factors
Net interest income & margin expansion
Sustained growth in net interest income and a wider net interest margin are structural drivers for a regional bank: higher NII and NIM expand recurring core earnings capacity, support higher operating profitability and ROE, and give the bank a durable earnings lever as it grows interest-earning assets over the next several quarters.
Negative Factors
Top-line revenue decline
A shrinking revenue base erodes the scale that underpins a bank's fixed-cost absorption and earnings stability. Even with margin gains, continued top-line pressure can make earnings more sensitive to NIM normalization and constrain reinvestment and dividend capacity over the medium term.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Net interest income & margin expansion
Sustained growth in net interest income and a wider net interest margin are structural drivers for a regional bank: higher NII and NIM expand recurring core earnings capacity, support higher operating profitability and ROE, and give the bank a durable earnings lever as it grows interest-earning assets over the next several quarters.
Read all positive factors
Southern First Bancshares (SFST) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$528.20M
Dividend YieldN/A
Average Volume (3M)17.98K
Price to Earnings (P/E)11.2
Beta (1Y)0.93
Revenue Growth6.94%
EPS Growth90.92%
CountryUS
Employees297
SectorFinancial
Sector Strength70
IndustryBanks - Regional
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)4.32
Shares Outstanding9,297,665
10 Day Avg. Volume14,806
30 Day Avg. Volume17,982
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.14
Price to Book (P/B)1.12
Price to Sales (P/S)1.85
P/FCF Ratio13.88
Enterprise Value/Market Cap1.44
Enterprise Value/Revenue3.70
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit6.24
Enterprise Value/Ebitda15.71
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$64.00Price Target Upside10.76% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering1
EPS Forecast (FY)5.42
Revenue Forecast (FY)$140.60M
Southern First Bancshares Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Southern First Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Southern First Bank that provides various banking products and services to general public in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. It operates through three segments: ...
How the Company Makes Money
Southern First Bancshares primarily makes money through its banking subsidiary by earning interest income and fee-based, noninterest income. The largest earnings driver is typically net interest income: the bank collects interest on loans (e.g., c...
Southern First Bancshares Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
72
Positive
Balance Sheet
66
Positive
Cash Flow
74
Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 205.66M | 224.62M | 213.32M | 187.46M | 127.64M | 110.26M |
| Gross Profit | 121.89M | 115.14M | 93.33M | 86.25M | 101.44M | 117.23M |
| EBITDA | 48.42M | 44.34M | 24.72M | 22.24M | 41.81M | 63.12M |
| Net Income | 34.99M | 30.37M | 15.53M | 13.43M | 29.11M | 46.71M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 4.58B | 4.40B | 4.09B | 4.06B | 3.69B | 2.93B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 32.72M | 86.13M | 34.87M | 46.29M | 162.94M | 200.61M |
| Total Debt | 264.90M | 264.90M | 264.90M | 311.32M | 211.21M | 36.11M |
| Total Liabilities | 4.20B | 4.03B | 3.76B | 3.74B | 3.40B | 2.65B |
| Stockholders Equity | 379.41M | 368.66M | 330.44M | 312.47M | 294.51M | 277.90M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 32.93M | 29.88M | 24.77M | 16.41M | 36.35M | 51.56M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 33.65M | 30.46M | 25.56M | 17.65M | 50.30M | 78.07M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -250.82M | -206.33M | -28.86M | -378.57M | -792.58M | -410.63M |
| Financing Cash Flow | 254.89M | 282.60M | 9.99M | 346.22M | 745.94M | 399.08M |
Southern First Bancshares Technical Analysis
Positive
57.78
Price Trends
56.08
Positive
54.81
Positive
49.11
Positive
Market Momentum
0.92
Negative
56.70
Neutral
50.94
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For SFST, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 57.78 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 55.74, above the 50-day MA of 56.08, and above the 200-day MA of 49.11, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.92 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 56.70 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 50.94 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for SFST.
Southern First Bancshares Risk Analysis
Southern First Bancshares disclosed 46 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Southern First Bancshares reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Southern First Bancshares Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
74 Outperform | $408.84M | 9.53 | 13.67% | 4.39% | 0.02% | 34.44% | |
70 Outperform | $375.18M | 9.21 | 9.85% | 3.18% | 6.00% | 31.08% | |
69 Neutral | $528.20M | 11.25 | 9.65% | ― | 6.94% | 90.92% | |
69 Neutral | $566.49M | 6.43 | 6.16% | 5.87% | -19.77% | ― | |
68 Neutral | $425.16M | 11.14 | 5.85% | ― | 13.13% | 119.50% | |
68 Neutral | $18.00B | 11.42 | 9.92% | 3.81% | 9.73% | 1.22% | |
63 Neutral | $415.88M | 8.31 | 13.31% | 1.66% | 7.75% | 220.19% |
* Financial Sector Average
SFST
Southern First Bancshares
55.92
19.55
53.75%
WTBA
West Bancorporation
23.54
4.58
24.18%
BWFG
Bankwell Financial Group
50.53
17.40
52.52%
MSBI
Midland States Bancrop
25.97
9.24
55.27%
FMAO
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
26.45
2.21
9.13%
PDLB
Ponce Financial Group Inc
17.40
4.02
30.04%
Southern First Bancshares Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial DisclosuresPrivate Placements and Financing
Southern First Bancshares Posts Strong Q1 2026 Results
Positive
Apr 21, 2026
Southern First Bancshares reported strong first-quarter 2026 results on April 21, 2026, with net income of $9.9 million and diluted EPS of $1.19, up 83% from a year earlier, driven by 29% growth in net interest income and a wider 2.88% net interes...
Business Operations and StrategyPrivate Placements and Financing
Southern First Bancshares Announces Common Stock Public Offering
Positive
Apr 16, 2026
On April 15, 2026, Southern First Bancshares, Inc. priced an underwritten public offering of 1,050,000 shares of common stock at $54.00 per share, with a 30‑day option for underwriters to purchase up to an additional 157,500 shares. The deal...
Financial DisclosuresPrivate Placements and Financing
Southern First Bancshares Launches Equity Offering Amid Strong Quarter
Positive
Apr 15, 2026
On April 15, 2026, Southern First Bancshares announced the launch of an underwritten public offering of its common stock, signaling a move to raise additional equity capital. The planned raise comes as the bank reports strong preliminary first-qua...
Business Operations and StrategyPrivate Placements and Financing
Southern First Extends Revolving Credit Facility to 2027
Neutral
Mar 10, 2026
On March 5, 2026, Southern First Bancshares, Inc. amended its existing $15 million revolving credit facility with TIB, National Association, extending the maturity of the line of credit to March 5, 2027 and adjusting certain terms under a Modifica...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.