Q2 2024 Earnings Forecast for Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) Issued By DA Davidson

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) – Stock analysts at DA Davidson lifted their Q2 2024 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Business First Bancshares in a research note issued on Thursday, June 27th. DA Davidson analyst M. Navas now anticipates 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 issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The company reported $0.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.57 by ($0.07). Business First Bancshares had a return on equity of 12.80% and a net margin of 17.08%. The firm had revenue of $60.92 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $61.93 million.

Business First Bancshares Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:BFST opened at $21.59 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $20.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $21.85. Business First Bancshares has a 1-year low of $14.39 and a 1-year high of $25.57. The stock has a market cap of $550.59 million, a PE ratio of 8.50 and a beta of 0.98.

Business First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.14 per share. This represents a $0.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.59%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 14th. Business First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.05%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Business First Bancshares

In related news, Director Rick D. Day acquired 1,800 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $20.30 per share, for a total transaction of $36,540.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 262,785 shares in the company, valued at $5,334,535.50. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Company insiders own 6.45% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Business First Bancshares

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mendon Capital Advisors Corp purchased a new stake in Business First Bancshares in the 4th quarter worth about $10,968,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in 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 worth $60,760,000 after acquiring an additional 236,500 shares during the last quarter. Kennedy Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Business First Bancshares by 25.1% in 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 purchased a new stake in Business First Bancshares in the 3rd quarter worth about $552,000. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co grew its holdings in Business First Bancshares by 2,249.7% during the 1st quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 22,346 shares of the company’s stock valued at $499,000 after buying 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.