Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC) Sets New 1-Year High - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• Bank First National shares reached a new 52-week high of $158.25 and last traded at $157.92, above the 50-day and 200-day moving averages.
• Analysts maintain a consensus “Buy” rating with a $163 price target, while recent targets range from $161 to $165.
• The bank beat quarterly earnings expectations with EPS of $2.45 versus $2.40 expected and raised its quarterly dividend from $0.55 to $0.60 per share, implying a 1.5% annual yield.

Bank First National Corporation (NASDAQ:BFC - Get Free Report)'s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $158.25 and last traded at $157.92, with a volume of 2061 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $156.93.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Bank First National from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Bank First National from a "buy (a-)" rating to a "buy (b+)" rating in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Bank First National from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Piper Sandler upped 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. Finally, Hovde Group raised their price objective on shares of Bank First National from $160.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, May 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $163.00.

Bank First National Price Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average of $147.74 and a 200-day moving average of $143.13. The firm has a market cap of $1.74 billion, a PE ratio of 20.40 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03.

Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $2.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 business had revenue of $65.03 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $65.25 million. As a group, research analysts predict that Bank First National Corporation will post 9.91 earnings per share for the current year.

Bank First National Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, September 23rd will be given a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. This is an increase from Bank First National's previous quarterly dividend of $0.55. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, September 23rd. Bank First National's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.21%.

Institutional Trading of Bank First National

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in Bank First National by 920.0% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 204 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 184 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in shares of Bank First National by 95.5% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 305 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 149 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in shares of Bank First National by 406.8% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 370 shares of the company's stock worth $45,000 after buying an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new stake in Bank First National during the third quarter valued at $94,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in Bank First National by 22.5% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 816 shares of the company's stock valued at $96,000 after buying an additional 150 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 29.95% of the company's stock.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

Continue following MarketBeat

Add MarketBeat as your preferred source on Google to see our latest stories in your feed.

Add As Preferred Source