Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC) Upgraded to "Hold" at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC) was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from "strong sell" to "hold", adding to a mixed analyst backdrop that currently leans to a Moderate Buy consensus with a $153.50 price target.
• The company reported Q1 earnings below expectations, posting $2.24 EPS versus the $2.40 estimate and revenue of $63.75 million versus $65.70 million expected.
• There was recent insider buying, with directors Michael S. Stayer-Suprick and Todd A. Sprang purchasing shares, while institutional ownership stands at 29.95%.

Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report released on Saturday.

BFC has been the subject of several other reports. Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of Bank First National from $150.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, April 20th. Scotiabank raised shares of Bank First National to a "sector outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Bank First National from a "buy (b+)" rating to a "buy (a-)" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 16th. Finally, Zacks Research cut shares of Bank First National from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating, one has given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $153.50.

Bank First National Stock Performance

Shares of Bank First National stock opened at $141.14 on Friday. Bank First National has a 52 week low of $109.11 and a 52 week high of $152.99. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.63 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 0.94. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $139.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $134.46.

Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The company reported $2.24 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.40 by ($0.16). The firm had revenue of $63.75 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $65.70 million. Bank First National had a net margin of 27.49% and a return on equity of 11.89%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.82 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Bank First National will post 9.5 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Bank First National

In other Bank First National news, Director Michael S. Stayer-Suprick acquired 225 shares of Bank First National stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 21st. The shares were bought at an average price of $140.04 per share, with a total value of $31,509.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 4,597 shares in the company, valued at $643,763.88. This trade represents a 5.15% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Todd A. Sprang bought 450 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $138.96 per share, for a total transaction of $62,532.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 2,015 shares of the company's stock, valued at $280,004.40. This trade represents a 28.75% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 4.97% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bank First National

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Bank First National by 920.0% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 204 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 184 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its holdings in Bank First National by 95.5% in the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 305 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 149 shares during the period. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in 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 valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 297 shares during the period. State of Alaska Department of Revenue acquired a new position in Bank First National in the third quarter valued at $48,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new position in Bank First National in the third quarter valued at $94,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 29.95% of the company's stock.

About Bank First National

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.