Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC) Reaches New 1-Year High - Still a Buy?

Key Points

• Bank First National shares reached a new 52-week high of $157.01 and last traded at $156.31, giving the company a market capitalization of approximately $1.74 billion.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Buy” rating with an average price target of $163.00, while recent targets range from $161 to $165. The company also exceeded quarterly expectations, reporting $2.45 in earnings per share versus the $2.40 consensus and revenue of $75.04 million.
• Bank First National increased its quarterly dividend to $0.60 per share, equivalent to an annualized $2.40 dividend and a 1.5% yield. Institutional investors own approximately 29.95% of the stock.

Bank First National Corporation (NASDAQ:BFC - Get Free Report) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $157.01 and last traded at $156.31, with a volume of 83663 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $156.08.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BFC has been the subject of several research reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Bank First National from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, May 16th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Bank First National from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of Bank First National from $157.00 to $161.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Bank First National from a "buy (a-)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Hovde Group boosted their price objective on shares of Bank First National from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $163.00.

Bank First National Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average of $146.53 and a 200-day moving average of $142.46. The company has a quick ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03. The firm has a market cap of $1.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.33 and a beta of 0.41.

Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.40 by $0.05. Bank First National had a return on equity of 13.02% and a net margin of 27.70%.The firm had revenue of $75.04 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $65.25 million. Research analysts predict that Bank First National Corporation will post 9.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bank First National Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Investors of record on Wednesday, September 23rd will be paid a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. This is a positive change from Bank First National's previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 23rd. Bank First National's payout ratio is presently 31.21%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bank First National

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of BFC. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of Bank First National by 2,452,855.0% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 490,591 shares of the company's stock valued at $59,764,000 after purchasing an additional 490,571 shares during the period. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Bank First National during the fourth quarter worth $6,340,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in Bank First National by 112.1% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 66,620 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,116,000 after purchasing an additional 35,214 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Bank First National by 41.7% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 107,025 shares of the company's stock valued at $12,983,000 after purchasing an additional 31,510 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC lifted its stake in Bank First National by 212.7% in the second quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 34,276 shares of the company's stock valued at $4,033,000 after buying an additional 23,314 shares during the period. 29.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Bank First National Company Profile

Bank First National Corporation NASDAQ: BFC is the bank holding company for Bank First National, a community bank headquartered in Princeton, Wisconsin. The company offers a comprehensive suite of financial services designed to meet the needs of individuals, families, small businesses and agricultural clients. Through its branch network and digital channels, Bank First National provides deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, mortgage financing and treasury management solutions.

The bank's core deposit products include checking and savings accounts, money market funds and certificates of deposit, complemented by online and mobile banking platforms that enable customers to manage their finances remotely.

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