Business First Bancshares (BFST) Projected to Release Earnings on Thursday

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) is expected to announce its Q2 2026 results after the market closes on Thursday, July 23rd. Analysts expect the company to announce 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 summary page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, July 23, 2026 at 5:00 PM ET.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, April 27th. The company reported $0.73 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.04. The firm 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 Trading Down 0.7%

NASDAQ:BFST opened at $30.68 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $29.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $28.12. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.00 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.88 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. Business First Bancshares has a 1 year low of $22.56 and a 1 year high of $31.57.

Business First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 15th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, May 15th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Business First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is 21.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Business First Bancshares

In other news, Director George W. Cummings III sold 15,000 shares of Business First Bancshares stock in a transaction on Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.54, for a total transaction of $428,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 281,180 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,024,877.20. The trade was a 5.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders sold a total of 36,595 shares of company stock valued at $1,031,732 in the last three months. Company insiders own 5.67% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Business First Bancshares

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Business First Bancshares by 115.4% in the first 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 in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position 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 last quarter. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in shares of Business First Bancshares by 1,532.5% during 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 lifted its stake in Business First Bancshares by 8.4% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 85,408 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,080,000 after buying an additional 6,596 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new stake in Business First Bancshares in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $1,150,000. 47.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.