Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) Director Purchases $47,415.00 in Stock

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) Director Rick Day purchased 1,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 28th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $31.61 per share, with a total value of $47,415.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 269,901 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,531,570.61. This represents a 0.56% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Business First Bancshares Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:BFST opened at $31.82 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $29.81 and its 200-day moving average price is $28.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.28 and a beta of 0.78. Business First Bancshares, Inc. has a one year low of $22.56 and a one year high of $32.39.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.01. Business First Bancshares had a net margin of 17.07% and a return on equity of 11.31%. The company had revenue of $91.81 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $91.31 million. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Business First Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Business First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Business First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on BFST shares. DA Davidson upped their price objective on Business First Bancshares from $33.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Hovde Group raised their price objective on Business First Bancshares from $32.50 to $36.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Stephens boosted their target price on Business First Bancshares from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.50.

Trending Headlines about Business First Bancshares

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish following the quarterly results: Stephens and Hovde Group raised their price targets to $36, while DA Davidson lifted its target to $35. The consensus rating is “Buy,” with an average target of $34.50, implying additional upside from recent levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Business First Bancshares reported quarterly EPS of $0.71, slightly ahead of the $0.70 consensus estimate. The bank also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, or $0.60 annualized, representing a yield of approximately 1.9% and a payout ratio of 21.28%.
• Positive Sentiment: Director Rick Day purchased 1,500 shares for approximately $47,415, modestly increasing his ownership and providing a small vote of confidence from an insider. Insider Buying: Business First Bancshares Director Acquires Shares
• Neutral Sentiment: BFST trades above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and near its 52-week high, indicating strong recent momentum but also leaving the stock more sensitive to profit-taking. Institutional investors own approximately 47.35% of the shares.
• Negative Sentiment: Several insiders sold shares in recent transactions. Director George W. Cummings III sold a combined 20,000 shares for roughly $639,400, COO Keith Mansfield sold 4,200 shares for $134,736, and Director Joseph Vernon Johnson sold 12,000 shares for approximately $379,800. Although each executive retains a substantial stake, the cluster of sales may be interpreted as a near-term caution signal. Business First Bancshares Insider Sale SEC Filing

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Business First Bancshares

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Business First Bancshares in the first quarter worth $1,608,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its position in Business First Bancshares by 0.4% during the first quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 989,686 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,761,000 after buying an additional 3,540 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC grew its stake in shares of Business First Bancshares by 3.4% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 121,404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,283,000 after buying an additional 3,997 shares during the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its stake in shares of Business First Bancshares by 63.3% during the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 18,033 shares of the company’s stock valued at $488,000 after buying an additional 6,988 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FreeGulliver LLC purchased a new position in shares of Business First Bancshares in the first quarter worth about $812,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 47.35% of the company’s stock.

About Business First Bancshares

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.