First Busey (NASDAQ:BUSE) Issues Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.07 EPS

First Busey (NASDAQ:BUSE) released its earnings results on Tuesday. The bank reported $0.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.07, FiscalAI reports. First Busey had a return on equity of 9.05% and a net margin of 11.00%.The firm had revenue of $201.78 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $197.70 million.

First Busey Stock Up 1.3%

BUSE opened at $25.05 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $2.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.78 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 0.91. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $24.27 and a 200 day moving average price of $23.76. First Busey has a twelve month low of $18.40 and a twelve month high of $26.08.

First Busey Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Investors of record on Friday, January 23rd will be paid a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 23rd. This is a positive change from First Busey’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. First Busey’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 90.43%.

Insider Activity at First Busey

In other news, CAO Scott A. Phillips purchased 1,350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 31st. The shares were bought at an average price of $25.64 per share, with a total value of $34,614.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 2,350 shares in the company, valued at $60,254. This trade represents a 135.00% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, President Mike Maddox acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $25.52 per share, with a total value of $25,520.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the president owned 40,280 shares in the company, valued at $1,027,945.60. This trade represents a 2.55% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 2,250 shares of company stock worth $54,398. Corporate insiders own 3.85% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Busey

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in BUSE. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in First Busey by 95.9% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 18,143 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $392,000 after purchasing an additional 8,884 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of First Busey by 16.8% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 198,945 shares of the bank’s stock worth $4,297,000 after buying an additional 28,605 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in shares of First Busey by 64.1% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 49,724 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,074,000 after acquiring an additional 19,431 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of First Busey by 9.0% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 469,310 shares of the bank’s stock worth $10,137,000 after acquiring an additional 38,773 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in First Busey by 78.4% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 222,048 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $4,796,000 after purchasing an additional 97,560 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 56.49% of the company’s stock.

First Busey News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting First Busey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — adjusted diluted EPS $0.68 vs. $0.61 consensus and revenue ~ $201.8M, signaling improved core profitability. First Busey (BUSE) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability and NIM expanded — Q4 net income rose to $60.8M, tax‑equivalent NIM ~3.71% and adjusted ROATCE improved; wealth management fees hit a record with assets under care at $15.66B. Management also repurchased ~$29.8M of stock in the quarter. First Busey Corporation Announces 2025 Fourth Quarter Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Shareholder returns & capital profile — company announced a quarterly common dividend increase to $0.26 and continues a sizable buyback program; capital ratios remain comfortably above regulatory buffers. First Busey Corporation Announces 2025 Fourth Quarter Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Funding mix changes — management intentionally ran off ~$180M of brokered/high‑cost deposits to lower funding costs; this helps margins but reduced total deposits in the quarter. First Busey Corporation Announces 2025 Fourth Quarter Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Executive turnover — Michael J. Maddox departed as Busey Bank CEO less than a year after the CrossFirst acquisition; while Van Dukeman will assume additional roles and remain for at least two years, leadership change introduces near‑term uncertainty. Less than a year after CrossFirst sale, Maddox exits as CEO of Busey Bank
• Negative Sentiment: Acquisition costs and asset items weigh on expenses and credit — noninterest expense rose (acquisition/integration costs), there was a $3.8M operating loss tied to one relationship, and non‑performing assets increased driven by PCD loans from the CrossFirst deal. These items could pressure near‑term margins and credit metrics. First Busey Corporation Reports Strong Fourth Quarter 2025 Earnings, Highlighting Increased Profitability and Further Integration of CrossFirst

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on BUSE. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on First Busey from $30.00 to $26.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 31st. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of First Busey in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $26.00 price target (down previously from $28.00) on shares of First Busey in a research report on Thursday, October 30th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $26.33.

About First Busey

First Busey (NASDAQ: BUSE) is a bank holding company headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, with roots tracing back to the founding of Busey Bank in 1868. As a regional financial institution, it offers a broad spectrum of banking services to individuals, small businesses, and corporations. Its core activities include commercial lending, deposit-taking, and cash management, which are tailored to meet the needs of local communities across its operating footprint.

In addition to traditional banking operations, First Busey provides wealth management and trust services through its subsidiary aimed at high-net-worth clients and fiduciary accounts.