FreeGulliver LLC Purchases New Stake in Business First Bancshares, Inc. $BFST

FreeGulliver LLC acquired a new position in Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 30,014 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $812,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of BFST. MQS Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Business First Bancshares in the 1st quarter valued at about $579,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Business First Bancshares during the first quarter worth approximately $1,282,000. Royce & Associates LP boosted its holdings in shares of Business First Bancshares by 27.0% during the fourth quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 823,364 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,523,000 after purchasing an additional 175,284 shares during the period. Strs Ohio grew its position in Business First Bancshares by 101.7% during the first quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 23,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $633,000 after purchasing an additional 11,800 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Argent Advisors Inc. increased its stake in Business First Bancshares by 92.3% in the 1st quarter. Argent Advisors Inc. now owns 24,896 shares of the company’s stock valued at $673,000 after buying an additional 11,947 shares during the period. 47.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Business First Bancshares Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of Business First Bancshares stock opened at $31.16 on Friday. Business First Bancshares, Inc. has a 12-month low of $22.56 and a 12-month high of $31.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $29.39 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $28.24. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 0.78.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 $91.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $91.31 million. Equities analysts expect that Business First Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Business First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. 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%.

More Business First Bancshares News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Business First reported Q2 EPS of $0.71, slightly ahead of Wall Street’s $0.70 estimate, while revenue of $91.0 million came in roughly in line; investors also saw solid profitability metrics, including a 17.02% net margin and 11.10% return on equity. Business First Bancshares earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens raised its price target on BFST from $34 to $36 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling confidence in additional upside. Stephens price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Hovde Group also lifted its target from $32.50 to $36 and maintained an outperform rating, reinforcing the bullish post-earnings tone. Hovde Group price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, which supports the stock’s income appeal for shareholders. Business First Bancshares Q2 2026 results and dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector commentary has also been constructive, with regional banks broadly reporting solid loan and deposit growth and improved credit quality, which adds a favorable backdrop for BFST. Zacks BFST Q2 metrics analysis

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on BFST shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Hovde Group upped their price target on shares of Business First Bancshares from $32.50 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. DA Davidson reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Business First Bancshares in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price objective on Business First Bancshares from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Business First Bancshares presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $34.00.

Insider Transactions at Business First Bancshares

In related news, Director George W. Cummings III sold 15,000 shares of Business First Bancshares stock in a transaction on Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.54, for a total value of $428,100.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 281,180 shares in the company, valued at $8,024,877.20. This trade represents a 5.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 36,595 shares of company stock valued at $1,031,732. Company insiders own 5.67% 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.