Business First Bancshares, Inc. $BFST Shares Acquired by American Century Companies Inc.

American Century Companies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) by 6.3% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 649,100 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 38,370 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. owned 2.19% of Business First Bancshares worth $16,000,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of Business First Bancshares by 160.2% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,469 shares of the company’s stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 1,520 shares in the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Business First Bancshares during the 2nd quarter valued at about $72,000. Quantbot Technologies LP lifted its position in Business First Bancshares by 15.2% during the 1st quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 4,128 shares of the company’s stock worth $101,000 after acquiring an additional 546 shares in the last quarter. Virtus Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Business First Bancshares in the 1st quarter worth approximately $127,000. Finally, Strs Ohio purchased a new position in Business First Bancshares in the 1st quarter worth approximately $156,000. 47.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Business First Bancshares Price Performance

BFST opened at $26.26 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $777.56 million, a P/E ratio of 10.14 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a 50-day moving average of $24.42 and a 200-day moving average of $24.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.00. Business First Bancshares, Inc. has a 1-year low of $20.07 and a 1-year high of $29.03.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $0.72 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $80.95 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $80.50 million. Business First Bancshares had a return on equity of 11.08% and a net margin of 15.94%. Equities analysts expect that Business First Bancshares, Inc. will post 2.72 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Business First Bancshares declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, October 28th that authorizes the company to repurchase $30.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 4.2% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Business First Bancshares Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Sunday, November 30th. Stockholders of record on Saturday, November 15th were issued a $0.15 dividend. This is a positive change from Business First Bancshares’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.14. The ex-dividend date was Friday, November 14th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. Business First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.17%.

Insider Activity at Business First Bancshares

In other news, CFO Greg Robertson sold 1,400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.41, for a total value of $36,974.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 67,835 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,791,522.35. This trade represents a 2.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Rick D. Day acquired 1,600 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 28th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $24.21 per share, with a total value of $38,736.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 265,885 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,437,075.85. The trade was a 0.61% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 6.45% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on BFST shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. DA Davidson assumed coverage on shares of Business First Bancshares in a report on Tuesday, November 25th. They set a “buy” rating and a $32.00 price target for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Business First Bancshares presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $30.75.

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.