Bank First (NASDAQ:BFC) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Still a Buy?

Bank First Co. (NASDAQ:BFC) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 21,453 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 4% from the previous session’s volume of 20,536 shares.The stock last traded at $100.03 and had previously closed at $99.13.

Bank First Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.58 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $101.62 and a 200 day moving average price of $99.94.

Bank First (NASDAQ:BFC) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 21st. The company reported $1.74 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.19. Bank First had a net margin of 29.00% and a return on equity of 10.53%. On average, analysts expect that Bank First Co. will post 6.9 EPS for the current year.

Bank First Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 9th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 26th were paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, March 26th. Bank First’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.69%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Daniel C. Mcconeghy bought 380 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 4th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $105.72 per share, for a total transaction of $40,173.60. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 2,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $211,440. This trade represents a 23.46 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Michael S. Stayer-Suprick purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $102.07 per share, with a total value of $102,070.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 3,035 shares in the company, valued at $309,782.45. The trade was a 49.14 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 4.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Bank First

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BFC. Merit Financial Group LLC raised its position in Bank First by 88.7% during the 4th quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 179,814 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,818,000 after purchasing an additional 84,524 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its stake in shares of Bank First by 103.2% during the fourth quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 48,500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,806,000 after buying an additional 24,635 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Bank First by 42.4% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 63,294 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,272,000 after acquiring an additional 18,861 shares in the last quarter. Barclays PLC lifted its stake in Bank First by 339.9% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 15,635 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,417,000 after acquiring an additional 12,081 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Bank First by 57.9% in the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 30,247 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,997,000 after acquiring an additional 11,096 shares in the last quarter. 29.95% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Bank First Company Profile

Bank First Corporation operates as a holding company for Bank First, N.A. that provides consumer and commercial financial services to businesses, professionals, consumers, associations, individuals, and governmental authorities in Wisconsin. It offers checking, savings, money market, cash management, retirement, and health savings accounts; other time deposits; certificates of deposit; and residential mortgage products.