Q2 2024 EPS Estimates for Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) Boosted by Analyst

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) – Research analysts at DA Davidson increased their Q2 2024 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Business First Bancshares in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, June 27th. DA Davidson analyst M. Navas now expects that the company will post earnings per share of $0.49 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.47. The consensus estimate for Business First Bancshares’ current full-year earnings is $2.02 per share.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57 by ($0.07). The business had revenue of $60.92 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $61.93 million. Business First Bancshares had a net margin of 17.08% and a return on equity of 12.80%.

Business First Bancshares Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ:BFST opened at $21.51 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The firm has a market cap of $548.51 million, a P/E ratio of 8.47 and a beta of 0.98. Business First Bancshares has a 12 month low of $14.39 and a 12 month high of $25.57. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $20.90 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $21.88.

Business First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.14 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 14th. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.60%. Business First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.05%.

Insider Activity at Business First Bancshares

In other news, Director Rick D. Day purchased 1,800 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $20.30 per share, with a total value of $36,540.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 262,785 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,334,535.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 6.45% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Mendon Capital Advisors Corp acquired a new position in Business First Bancshares in the fourth quarter valued at about $10,968,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its position in shares of Business First Bancshares by 2,365.0% in the 4th quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 246,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $60,760,000 after acquiring an additional 236,500 shares during the period. Kennedy Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Business First Bancshares by 25.1% during the 3rd quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC now owns 295,969 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,552,000 after acquiring an additional 59,297 shares during the last quarter. Trexquant Investment LP acquired a new position in Business First Bancshares during the third quarter valued at approximately $552,000. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co increased its stake in Business First Bancshares by 2,249.7% in the first quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 22,346 shares of the company’s stock valued at $499,000 after purchasing an additional 21,395 shares in the last quarter. 47.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Business First Bancshares Company Profile

Business First Bancshares, Inc operates as the bank holding company for b1BANK that provides various banking products and services in Louisiana and Texas. It offers various deposit products and services, including checking, demand, money market, time, and savings accounts; and certificates of deposits, remote deposit capture, and direct deposit services.