Business First Bancshares (BFST) Projected to Post Quarterly Earnings on Thursday

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) will likely be releasing its Q2 2026 results after the market closes on Thursday, July 23rd. Analysts expect the company to post earnings of $0.71 per share and revenue of $91.3060 million for the quarter. Investors may review the information on the company’s upcoming Q2 2026 earning report for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, July 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $89.25 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $90.99 million. Business First Bancshares had a return on equity of 11.10% and a net margin of 17.02%. 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 Up 0.6%

NASDAQ BFST opened at $30.85 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 0.98. The company has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.94 and a beta of 0.78. Business First Bancshares has a one year low of $22.56 and a one year high of $31.57. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $29.16 and a 200-day moving average price of $28.15.

Business First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Investors of record on Friday, May 15th were given a $0.15 dividend. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, May 15th. Business First Bancshares’s payout ratio is currently 21.28%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have commented on BFST. Stephens set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Finally, DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and issued a $33.00 target price on shares of Business First Bancshares in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $32.33.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director George W. Cummings III sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.54, for a total value of $428,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 281,180 shares in the company, valued at $8,024,877.20. This trade represents a 5.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 36,595 shares of company stock worth $1,031,732. Corporate insiders own 5.67% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

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

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.