Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) Director George Cummings III Sells 15,000 Shares

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) Director George 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 transaction of $428,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 281,180 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,024,877.20. This represents a 5.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website.

Business First Bancshares Stock Performance

NASDAQ BFST opened at $28.69 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company has a market capitalization of $937.59 million, a P/E ratio of 10.17 and a beta of 0.79. Business First Bancshares, Inc. has a 12-month low of $22.51 and a 12-month high of $30.32. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $27.88 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $27.48.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, April 27th. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $89.25 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $90.99 million. Business First Bancshares had a net margin of 17.02% and a return on equity of 11.10%. Analysts anticipate that Business First Bancshares, Inc. will post 3 earnings per share for the current year.

Business First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 15th were issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Business First Bancshares’s payout ratio is currently 21.28%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Business First Bancshares from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $33.00 price target on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Stephens set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $32.33.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Business First Bancshares

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new stake in Business First Bancshares during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Business First Bancshares by 15,600.0% in the fourth 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 during the period. Delos Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Business First Bancshares in the third quarter worth $30,000. FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Business First Bancshares in the third quarter worth $42,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in Business First Bancshares by 389.7% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,669 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,000 after purchasing an additional 2,124 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.35% of the company’s stock.

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.