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EarningsQ2 2026 Earnings Report
BFST Q2 2026 EPS Results
Actual EPS$0.71
Consensus EPS$0.70
Beat/MissBeat by +$0.01
One Year Ago EPS$0.66
BFST Q2 2026 Revenue Results
Actual Revenue$139.06M
Expected Revenue$91.31M
Beat/MissBeat by +$47.75M
YoY Revenue Growth+10.23%
Earnings Announcement Details
QuarterQ2 2026
Date07/23/2026
TimeAfter Close
Conference CallThursday, July 23, 2026
BFST Upcoming Earnings
Business First Bancshares's next earnings date is estimated for October 26, 2026, based on past reporting schedules.
Q2 2026 Earnings Call Audio
BFST Q2 2026 Earnings Call
0:00 / 0:00
Q2 2026 Earnings Slide Deck
Q2 2026 Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Sentiment|Positive
The call conveyed a generally positive outlook: solid core earnings, margin expansion (+8 bps), capital-raising success, and meaningful credit improvements (NPL ratio improvement to 1.26% and ~30% reduction in NPLs) are notable strengths. Challenges include a sizable deposit outflow in the quarter (partially strategic), elevated noninterest expense tied to one-time marketing and legal items, softer noninterest income from swap fees, and near-term uncertainty tied to loan sale redeployment and potential charge-offs while resolving problem credits. Management provided clear mitigation plans (redeploying proceeds, expecting deposit seasonality to reverse, expense normalization in Q3/Q4, and capital flexibility), and reiterated achievable targets for margin, loan growth, and end-of-year capital ratios, supporting a constructive forward view.Company Guidance
Strong Quarterly Earnings and EPS
GAAP net income of $22.8 million and GAAP EPS of $0.70. Non-GAAP (core) net income was $23.3 million and core EPS was $0.71, reflecting solid profitability versus prior periods.
Improved Profitability Metrics
Core return on average assets (ROAA) of 1.5% for the quarter and a core efficiency ratio of 63.9%, indicating improved operating performance and better earnings leverage.
Net Interest Margin Expansion
GAAP net interest margin increased by 8 basis points to 3.73%; core NIM (ex-accretion) also rose 8 basis points to 3.68%, driven by higher loan and securities yields and lower deposit costs.
Loan Yield and Production Trends
Weighted-average new and renewed loan yield of 7.21% in Q2; core loan yields (ex-accretion) increased to 6.58% (up 4 bps). Excluding a sizable loan sale, loans held for investment rose $96.4 million (5.8% annualized) on a linked-quarter basis.
Credit Quality Improvement
Nonperforming loans ratio improved materially: NPLs/loans decreased ~27 basis points to 1.26%; nonperforming assets/total assets decreased 15 basis points to 1.23%. Management reported roughly a 30% reduction in nonperforming loans during the quarter and resolved approximately $35 million of problem credits.
Capital Raising and Balance Sheet Actions
Completed private placement of $85 million subordinated debt (6.5% fixed-to-floating) and used proceeds to partially redeem callable issuance; transaction added roughly 50 basis points to consolidated total risk-based capital. FHLB borrowings increased $181.7 million to support upcoming loan fundings.
Deposit and Funding Strategy
Management intentionally paid down higher-cost broker deposits (~$63 million) and emphasized deposit rebalancing: noninterest-bearing deposits increased $8.5 million and CD retention remained strong at 83% in Q2, supporting lower deposit cost trajectory (cost of deposits down 7 bps linked quarter; total cost of deposits for June 2026 = 2.26%).
Growth Pipeline and Market Opportunities
Management reported a significant loan pipeline (especially in Houston) and expects high single-digit annualized loan growth in Q3 and Q4 if the pipeline converts. Secular regional tailwinds in Louisiana from major data center and advanced manufacturing investments were highlighted as long-term growth drivers.
Shareholder Returns and Capital Allocation
Declared a quarterly dividend (continuing a multi-year trend of increases) and executed opportunistic buybacks (176,000 shares, ~$4.8 million in Q2). Management noted share repurchase discipline (opportunistic at prices above ~$1.20) and prioritized organic loan growth and approaching callable preferred redemption as primary capital uses.
BFST Earnings History
The table shows recent earnings report dates and whether the forecast was beat or missed. See the change in forecast and EPS from the previous year.
Beat
Missed