FY2026 EPS Estimates for First Busey Lifted by DA Davidson

Key Points

• DA Davidson has increased its FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimate for First Busey Corporation to $2.70, a slight increase from the previous estimate of $2.69.
• First Busey recently reported quarterly earnings of $0.63 per share, exceeding the consensus estimate of $0.61, with a net margin of 9.48%.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, resulting in an annualized dividend yield of 4.31%.

First Busey Corporation (NASDAQ:BUSE - Free Report) - Equities researchers at DA Davidson lifted their FY2026 earnings estimates for First Busey in a note issued to investors on Thursday, July 24th. DA Davidson analyst J. Rulis now anticipates that the bank will earn $2.70 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $2.69. DA Davidson currently has a "Neutral" rating and a $26.00 target price on the stock. The consensus estimate for First Busey's current full-year earnings is $2.61 per share.

Several other analysts have also commented on BUSE. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods decreased their price target on shares of First Busey from $30.00 to $29.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 24th. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on shares of First Busey from $25.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 8th. Hovde Group initiated coverage on shares of First Busey in a research report on Monday, June 30th. They issued a "market perform" rating and a $25.00 price objective for the company. Wall Street Zen raised shares of First Busey from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 22nd. Finally, Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of First Busey in a research report on Tuesday, July 1st. They set an "overweight" rating and a $30.00 price target for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $27.17.

First Busey Stock Down 1.2%

First Busey stock traded down $0.27 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $22.35. 41,855 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 527,372. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.90. First Busey has a 12 month low of $18.40 and a 12 month high of $28.30. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $23.09 and a two-hundred day moving average of $22.59. The company has a market cap of $2.00 billion, a PE ratio of 19.96 and a beta of 0.77.

First Busey (NASDAQ:BUSE - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 22nd. The bank reported $0.63 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $192.05 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $193.91 million. First Busey had a net margin of 9.48% and a return on equity of 9.76%.

First Busey Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 18th were issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 18th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.47%. First Busey's payout ratio is currently 89.29%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Karen M. Jensen acquired 5,500 shares of First Busey stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $21.70 per share, for a total transaction of $119,350.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 72,068 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,563,875.60. This represents a 8.26% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Steven W. Caple acquired 1,175 shares of First Busey stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 23rd. The stock was bought at an average price of $21.60 per share, for a total transaction of $25,380.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 4,509 shares in the company, valued at $97,394.40. This trade represents a 35.24% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders acquired a total of 15,625 shares of company stock worth $344,273 in the last 90 days. 3.85% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of First Busey

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Meeder Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in First Busey by 161.1% in the 4th quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,697 shares of the bank's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 1,047 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in First Busey by 822.7% in the 4th quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 1,707 shares of the bank's stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 1,522 shares during the period. Quarry LP grew its position in First Busey by 507.5% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,786 shares of the bank's stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 1,492 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in First Busey in the 1st quarter valued at about $43,000. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in First Busey by 56.4% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,251 shares of the bank's stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 812 shares in the last quarter. 56.49% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About First Busey

First Busey Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Busey Bank that engages in the provision of retail and commercial banking products and services to individual, corporate, institutional, and governmental customers in the United States. It operates through three segments: Banking, Wealth Management, and FirsTech.