Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC) Sees Strong Trading Volume - Here's Why

Key Points

• Bank First National's shares saw a trading volume increase of 6%, with the stock last trading at $121.26, down from a previous close of $123.82.
• Analysts have mixed opinions on the stock, with upgrades from Hovde Group (target price $130.00) and Piper Sandler (target price $137.00), while Wall Street Zen downgraded it to a "sell" rating.
• The company reported a quarterly earnings miss, with earnings per share of $1.71, below analyst expectations of $1.80, and it announced a dividend of $0.45 per share to be paid on October 8th.

Bank First National Corporation (NASDAQ:BFC - Get Free Report) shares saw strong trading volume on Friday . 70,777 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 6% from the previous session's volume of 66,762 shares.The stock last traded at $121.26 and had previously closed at $123.82.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on BFC shares. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Bank First National from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Saturday, July 26th. Hovde Group upgraded Bank First National from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $130.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, May 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of Bank First National from $115.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, July 21st.

Bank First National Stock Performance

The stock's 50 day moving average is $119.95 and its two-hundred day moving average is $111.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.99, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.73 and a beta of 0.41.

Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, July 18th. The company reported $1.71 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.80 by ($0.09). Bank First National had a net margin of 29.04% and a return on equity of 10.92%. The firm had revenue of $41.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $43.85 million. Analysts expect that Bank First National Corporation will post 6.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bank First National Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 8th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, September 24th will be given a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, September 24th. Bank First National's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.97%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bank First National

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of BFC. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in Bank First National by 17.0% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 669 shares of the company's stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. Mariner LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bank First National by 4.7% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 2,497 shares of the company's stock worth $247,000 after acquiring an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bank First National by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 10,264 shares of the company's stock worth $1,017,000 after buying an additional 119 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Bank First National by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 4,531 shares of the company's stock valued at $449,000 after buying an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in Bank First National by 2.3% in the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 5,506 shares of the company's stock worth $546,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 29.95% of the company's stock.

Bank First National Company Profile

Bank First Corporation operates as a holding company for Bank First, N.A. that provides consumer and commercial financial services to businesses, professionals, consumers, associations, individuals, and governmental authorities in Wisconsin. It offers checking, savings, money market, cash management, retirement, and health savings accounts; other time deposits; certificates of deposit; and residential mortgage products.