Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) Price Target Raised to $36.00

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) had its price objective upped by Hovde Group from $32.50 to $36.00 in a report published on Friday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have an outperform rating on the stock.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on BFST. Stephens set a $33.00 price target on shares of Business First Bancshares in a report on Monday, April 27th. DA Davidson restated a “buy” rating and set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed 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, Business First Bancshares presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.00.

Business First Bancshares Price Performance

Shares of BFST stock opened at $31.16 on Friday. Business First Bancshares has a fifty-two week low of $22.56 and a fifty-two week high of $31.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.02 billion, a PE ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 0.78. 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 stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $29.39 and its 200-day simple moving average is $28.25.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $91.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $91.31 million. Business First Bancshares had a return on equity of 11.31% and a net margin of 17.07%. Equities analysts expect that Business First Bancshares will post 3.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Business First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Activity

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of BFST. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Business First Bancshares by 15,600.0% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,099 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 1,092 shares in the last quarter. FWL Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Business First Bancshares during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in shares of Business First Bancshares by 389.7% during the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,669 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after purchasing an additional 2,124 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of Business First Bancshares by 36.5% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,446 shares of the company’s stock valued at $116,000 after purchasing an additional 1,188 shares during the period. Finally, Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Business First Bancshares in the 3rd quarter valued at $123,000. 47.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Business First Bancshares

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

• Positive Sentiment: Business First reported Q2 EPS of $0.71, slightly ahead of Wall Street’s $0.70 estimate, while revenue of $91.0 million came in roughly in line; investors also saw solid profitability metrics, including a 17.02% net margin and 11.10% return on equity. Business First Bancshares earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens raised its price target on BFST from $34 to $36 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling confidence in additional upside. Stephens price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Hovde Group also lifted its target from $32.50 to $36 and maintained an outperform rating, reinforcing the bullish post-earnings tone. Hovde Group price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, which supports the stock’s income appeal for shareholders. Business First Bancshares Q2 2026 results and dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector commentary has also been constructive, with regional banks broadly reporting solid loan and deposit growth and improved credit quality, which adds a favorable backdrop for BFST. Zacks BFST Q2 metrics analysis

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.