Business First Bancshares (BFST) Projected to Post Quarterly Earnings on Thursday

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) is expected to be releasing its Q4 2025 results after the market closes on Thursday, January 22nd. Analysts expect Business First Bancshares to post earnings of $0.72 per share and revenue of $81.4120 million for the quarter. Interested persons are encouraged to explore the company’s upcoming Q4 2025 earning overview page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $0.72 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $80.95 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $80.50 million. Business First Bancshares had a return on equity of 11.08% and a net margin of 15.94%. On average, analysts expect Business First Bancshares to post $3 EPS for the current fiscal year and $3 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Business First Bancshares Price Performance

BFST opened at $26.71 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $26.48 and a 200 day moving average price of $25.17. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. Business First Bancshares has a 1 year low of $20.07 and a 1 year high of $28.46. The stock has a market cap of $790.88 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.31 and a beta of 0.86.

Business First Bancshares Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, November 30th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, November 15th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This is a boost from Business First Bancshares’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Business First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.17%.

Business First Bancshares announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, October 28th that permits the company to buyback $30.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 4.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Rick D. Day acquired 1,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 28th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $24.21 per share, with a total value of $38,736.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 265,885 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,437,075.85. This represents a 0.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Greg Robertson sold 1,400 shares of Business First Bancshares stock in a transaction on Monday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.41, for a total transaction of $36,974.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 67,835 shares in the company, valued at $1,791,522.35. This trade represents a 2.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 6.45% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Business First Bancshares

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in Business First Bancshares by 115.4% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 38,485 shares of the company’s stock worth $937,000 after buying an additional 20,620 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Business First Bancshares by 4.5% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 14,343 shares of the company’s stock worth $349,000 after acquiring an additional 624 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in Business First Bancshares by 1,532.5% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 159,481 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,883,000 after acquiring an additional 149,712 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC raised its stake in Business First Bancshares by 8.4% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 85,408 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,080,000 after purchasing an additional 6,596 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in Business First Bancshares in the 1st quarter valued at $1,150,000. Institutional investors own 47.35% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on BFST shares. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on shares of Business First Bancshares from $30.00 to $31.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, DA Davidson assumed coverage on shares of Business First Bancshares in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $32.00 price target on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Business First Bancshares currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $31.50.

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.