Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) COO Keith Mansfield Sells 4,200 Shares

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) COO Keith Mansfield sold 4,200 shares of Business First Bancshares stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.08, for a total transaction of $134,736.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 77,139 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,474,619.12. This represents a 5.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Business First Bancshares Stock Down 0.4%

BFST stock opened at $31.82 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.28 and a beta of 0.78. Business First Bancshares, Inc. has a 1-year low of $22.56 and a 1-year high of $32.39. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $29.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $28.43. 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 (NASDAQ:BFST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 $91.81 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $91.31 million. Research analysts predict that Business First Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.02 EPS for the current year.

Business First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. Business First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is 21.28%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Business First Bancshares

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Business First Bancshares by 115.4% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 38,485 shares of the company’s stock valued at $937,000 after purchasing an additional 20,620 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its stake in Business First Bancshares by 4.5% during the 1st quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 14,343 shares of the company’s stock valued at $349,000 after purchasing an additional 624 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in Business First Bancshares by 1,532.5% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 159,481 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,883,000 after purchasing an additional 149,712 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in Business First Bancshares by 8.4% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 85,408 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,080,000 after purchasing an additional 6,596 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Business First Bancshares in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,150,000. Institutional investors own 47.35% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on BFST. DA Davidson lifted their target price on Business First Bancshares from $33.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Stephens upped their target price on Business First Bancshares from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Hovde Group increased their price target on Business First Bancshares from $32.50 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a report on Monday, July 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.50.

Business First Bancshares News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish following the quarterly results: Stephens and Hovde Group raised their price targets to $36, while DA Davidson lifted its target to $35. The consensus rating is “Buy,” with an average target of $34.50, implying additional upside from recent levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Business First Bancshares reported quarterly EPS of $0.71, slightly ahead of the $0.70 consensus estimate. The bank also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, or $0.60 annualized, representing a yield of approximately 1.9% and a payout ratio of 21.28%.
• Positive Sentiment: Director Rick Day purchased 1,500 shares for approximately $47,415, modestly increasing his ownership and providing a small vote of confidence from an insider. Insider Buying: Business First Bancshares Director Acquires Shares
• Neutral Sentiment: BFST trades above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and near its 52-week high, indicating strong recent momentum but also leaving the stock more sensitive to profit-taking. Institutional investors own approximately 47.35% of the shares.
• Negative Sentiment: Several insiders sold shares in recent transactions. Director George W. Cummings III sold a combined 20,000 shares for roughly $639,400, COO Keith Mansfield sold 4,200 shares for $134,736, and Director Joseph Vernon Johnson sold 12,000 shares for approximately $379,800. Although each executive retains a substantial stake, the cluster of sales may be interpreted as a near-term caution signal. Business First Bancshares Insider Sale SEC Filing

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.