Business First Bancshares (BFST) to Post Earnings on Thursday

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) is expected to be announcing its Q2 2026 results after the market closes on Thursday, July 23rd. Analysts expect Business First Bancshares to post earnings of $0.71 per share and revenue of $91.3060 million for the quarter. Interested persons can find conference call details on the company’s upcoming Q2 2026 earning summary page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, July 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.04. Business First Bancshares had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 11.10%. The company had revenue of $89.25 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $90.99 million. 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 Stock Performance

BFST opened at $30.46 on Thursday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $28.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $28.03. Business First Bancshares has a 1 year low of $22.56 and a 1 year high of $31.57. The company has a market capitalization of $995.37 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.80 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.98.

Business First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. Business First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is currently 21.28%.

Insider Activity at Business First Bancshares

In other Business First Bancshares news, Director George W. Cummings III sold 15,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.54, for a total value of $428,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 281,180 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,024,877.20. The trade was a 5.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders have sold 36,595 shares of company stock valued at $1,031,732 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 5.67% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Business First Bancshares

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in BFST. VARCOV Co. purchased a new position in shares of Business First Bancshares in the fourth quarter worth about $266,000. Ieq Capital LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Business First Bancshares during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $287,000. Aquatic Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Business First Bancshares by 259.8% in the 3rd quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC now owns 7,114 shares of the company’s stock worth $168,000 after buying an additional 5,137 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its holdings in Business First Bancshares by 24.2% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 7,509 shares of the company’s stock worth $177,000 after buying an additional 1,462 shares during the period. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Business First Bancshares by 9.6% in the 3rd quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 12,240 shares of the company’s stock valued at $289,000 after buying an additional 1,074 shares in the last quarter. 47.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on BFST shares. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Stephens set a $33.00 price target on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, DA Davidson reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $33.00 price target on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, Business First Bancshares has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $32.33.

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.