Business First Bancshares (BFST) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Company Overview

Business First Bancshares, Inc. is a bank holding company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, and the parent company of Business First Bank. Established in 2007 and commencing operations in 2009, the company provides a range of commercial banking and financial services to small and mid-sized businesses, professionals, and individuals. As a regulated bank holding company, Business First Bancshares operates under the supervision of the Federal Reserve and its subsidiary bank is subject to state and federal banking regulations.

The core business activities of Business First Bank include commercial lending, deposit services, treasury and cash management solutions, and SBA lending. The company offers term loans, lines of credit, equipment financing, and real estate loans tailored to the needs of clients in targeted industry segments such as healthcare, professional services, government contracting, and hospitality. On the deposit side, it provides business checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit, alongside online and mobile banking platforms for enhanced client convenience.

Business First Bancshares maintains a regional footprint primarily in Tennessee and Alabama, with additional limited presence in Florida and Georgia. Its branch network is complemented by a team of relationship managers and treasury specialists who work closely with local businesses to structure customized financial solutions. The bank’s regional focus emphasizes community involvement, local market knowledge, and quick decision-making to support the growth and operational needs of its clients.

Leadership at Business First Bancshares includes President and Chief Executive Officer James “Jim” Lingafelt, who has guided the organization through periods of strategic growth since its inception. The company’s board of directors brings together seasoned banking professionals and community leaders, underscoring a commitment to governance and client-centric service. Over time, Business First Bancshares has built a reputation for its entrepreneurial culture, community engagement, and focus on delivering tailored financial products to support regional economic development.

Key Stats

• Today's Range: $25.50 to $26.60
• 50-Day Range: $22.90 to $26.38
• 52-Week Range: $20.07 to $30.30
• Volume: 87,939 shs
• Average Volume: 98,930 shs
• Market Capitalization: $757.39 million
• P/E Ratio: 10.50
• Dividend Yield: 2.20%
• Price Target: $30.50
• Consensus Rating: Buy

Business First Bancshares Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

Business First Bancshares scored higher than 76% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 344th out of 933 stocks in the finance sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

Analyst's Opinion

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• Analyst Rating: Buy

Consensus Rating

Business First Bancshares has received a consensus rating of Buy. The company's average rating score is 3.00, and is based on 4 buy ratings, no hold ratings, and no sell ratings.

Amount of Analyst Coverage

Business First Bancshares has only been the subject of 3 research reports in the past 90 days.

Earnings and Valuation

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: 8.82%

Earnings Growth

Earnings for Business First Bancshares are expected to grow by 8.82% in the coming year, from $2.72 to $2.96 per share.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of Business First Bancshares is 10.50, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 26.59.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of Business First Bancshares is 10.50, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Finance sector average P/E ratio of about 18.99.

Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

Business First Bancshares has a P/B Ratio of 1.04. P/B Ratios below 3 indicates that a company is reasonably valued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

Short Interest

• Score: 4.0 / 5
• Short Interest Level: Healthy

Percentage of Shares Shorted

0.91% of the float of Business First Bancshares has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Business First Bancshares has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 2.3, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Business First Bancshares has recently decreased by 4.44%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving.

Dividend

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Moderate

Dividend Yield

Business First Bancshares pays a meaningful dividend of 2.12%, higher than the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.

Dividend Growth

Business First Bancshares has only been increasing its dividend for 2 years.

Dividend Coverage

The dividend payout ratio of Business First Bancshares is 23.05%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.

Dividend Sustainability

Based on earnings estimates, Business First Bancshares will have a dividend payout ratio of 18.92% next year. This indicates that Business First Bancshares will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Sustainability and ESG

• Score: N/A
• Environmental Score: N/A

Percentage of Shares Shorted

0.91% of the float of Business First Bancshares has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Business First Bancshares has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 2.3, which is generally considered an acceptable ratio of short interest to trading volume.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Business First Bancshares has recently decreased by 4.44%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving.

News and Social Media

• Score: 2.0 / 5
• News Sentiment: 0.65

News Sentiment

Business First Bancshares has a news sentiment score of 0.65. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a lower news sentiment than the 0.93 average news sentiment score of Finance companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 11 news articles for Business First Bancshares this week, compared to 3 articles on an average week.

Company Ownership

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• Insider Trading: Selling Shares

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, Business First Bancshares insiders have sold 61.89% more of their company's stock than they have bought. Specifically, they have bought $15,912.00 in company stock and sold $25,760.00 in company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

Only 6.45% of the stock of Business First Bancshares is held by insiders.

Percentage Held by Institutions

47.35% of the stock of Business First Bancshares is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

BFST Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

How have BFST shares performed this year?

Business First Bancshares' stock was trading at $25.70 at the start of the year. Since then, BFST shares have decreased by 0.7% and is now trading at $25.51.

How were Business First Bancshares' earnings last quarter?

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April, 24th. The company reported $0.65 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.61 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $79.21 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $77.54 million. Business First Bancshares had a net margin of 15.00% and a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 11.49%.
Read the conference call transcript.

Who are Business First Bancshares' major shareholders?

Top institutional shareholders of Business First Bancshares include Hartmann Taylor Wealth Management LLC (0.10%), Security National Bank (0.06%) and Farther Finance Advisors LLC (0.01%). Insiders that own company stock include Rick D Day, Joseph Vernon Johnson, Rolfe H Jr Mccollister, Greg Robertson, Kenneth W Smith, James J Buquet III, Andrew D Mclindon, Jesse Jackson, Warren Mcdonald, Steven Gerard White, Kathryn Manning, Saundra Strong and John P Ducrest.
View institutional ownership trends.

How do I buy shares of Business First Bancshares?

Shares of BFST stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

What other stocks do shareholders of Business First Bancshares own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some other companies that Business First Bancshares investors own include NVIDIA (NVDA), Meta Platforms (META), Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Broadcom (AVGO), Palo Alto Networks (PANW), Netflix (NFLX) and ServiceNow (NOW).

Company Calendar

• Last Earnings: 4/24/2025
• Record date for 5/31 Dividend: 5/15/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 5/31 Dividend: 5/15/2025
• Dividend Payable: 5/31/2025
• Today: 7/16/2025
• Next Earnings (Estimated): 7/28/2025
• Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2025

Industry, Sector and Symbol

• Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
• Sector: Finance
• Industry: BANKS - NORTHEAST
• Sub-Industry: Banking
• Current Symbol: NASDAQ:BFST
• CIK: 1624322
• Web: www.b1bank.com
• Phone: (225) 248-7600
• Fax: 225-248-7650
• Employees: 750
• Year Founded: N/A

Price Target and Rating

• Average Price Target for Business First Bancshares: $30.50
• High Price Target: $33.00
• Low Price Target: $28.00
• Potential Upside/Downside: +19.6%
• Consensus Rating: Buy
• Rating Score (0-4): 3.00
• Research Coverage: 4 Analysts

Profitability

• EPS (Trailing Twelve Months): $2.43
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 10.50
• Forward P/E Ratio: 9.38
• P/E Growth: N/A
• Net Income: $65.11 million
• Net Margins: 15.00%
• Pretax Margin: 19.08%
• Return on Equity: 11.49%
• Return on Assets: 1.06%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 0.55
• Current Ratio: 0.99
• Quick Ratio: 0.99

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $458.96 million
• Price / Sales: 1.65
• Cash Flow: $2.49 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 10.25
• Book Value: $24.63 per share
• Price / Book: 1.04

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 29,690,000
• Free Float: 27,780,000
• Market Cap: $757.39 million
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 0.80