Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) Declares $0.15 Quarterly Dividend

Key Points

• Business First Bancshares declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, payable on August 31 to shareholders of record on August 15. The dividend implies an annualized yield of about 2.0%.
• The company also reported Q2 earnings of $0.71 per share, edging past analyst expectations of $0.70 and up from $0.66 a year earlier. Revenue came in at $91.0 million, slightly below estimates.
• Dividend coverage appears solid, with a payout ratio of 20.8% and analyst expectations suggesting the company should continue covering its annual dividend comfortably. The stock was slightly lower in Friday trading.

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST - Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, July 23rd. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of 0.15 per share on Monday, August 31st. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th.

Business First Bancshares has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 2 years. Business First Bancshares has a payout ratio of 20.8% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Business First Bancshares to earn $3.27 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $0.60 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 18.3%.

Business First Bancshares Stock Down 0.1%

BFST opened at $30.47 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.98. Business First Bancshares has a 12 month low of $22.56 and a 12 month high of $31.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $995.76 million, a P/E ratio of 10.81 and a beta of 0.78. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $29.30 and a 200-day simple moving average of $28.22.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $91.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $91.31 million. Business First Bancshares had a return on equity of 11.10% and a net margin of 17.02%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Business First Bancshares will post 3.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

More Business First Bancshares News

Here are the key news stories impacting Business First Bancshares this week:

• Positive Sentiment: BFST reported Q2 earnings of $0.71 per share, edging past analyst expectations by $0.01 and up from $0.66 a year ago, a sign of steady profitability. Business First Bancshares earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, signaling continued capital return to shareholders and implying an annualized yield of about 2.0%. Business First Bancshares dividend announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Sector-wide commentary on regional banks was supportive, with lenders reporting stronger net interest income, loan and deposit growth, and improved credit quality, which may be helping sentiment around BFST. Regional banks earnings sector update
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue for the quarter came in at $91.0 million, slightly below the $91.31 million consensus estimate, so the quarter was a modest earnings beat but not a clear top-line surprise. Business First Bancshares earnings report

Business First Bancshares Company Profile

Business First Bancshares, Inc is the bank holding company for Business First Bank, a regional community bank headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the company provides a full suite of commercial and retail banking services to small and medium-sized businesses, professionals and individual consumers. Business First Bancshares operates under a community-focused model, emphasizing personalized service, local decision-making and relationship banking.

The company’s primary business activities include commercial lending, treasury and cash management, and deposit services.

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