Business First Bancshares AI Stock Analysis
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Business First Bancshares (BFST) AI Stock Analysis
Business First Bancshares
(NASDAQ:BFST)
BFST scores well primarily on solid financial performance (strong cash conversion and improved leverage, despite some near-term income softness). Technicals are supportive with price above key moving averages and positive momentum indicators. Valuation is reasonable (P/E ~11.5) with a modest dividend, and the latest earnings call reinforces a constructive outlook for loan growth, margin expansion, and improving credit trends, tempered by deposit competition and slower credit improvement.
Business First Bancshares (BFST) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
- Market Cap
- $1.05B
- Dividend Yield
- 1.84%
- Average Volume (3M)
- 189.88K
- Price to Earnings (P/E)
- 11.6
- Beta (1Y)
- 0.73
- Revenue Growth
- 7.18%
- EPS Growth
- 7.94%
- Country
- US
- Employees
- 832
- Sector
- Financial
- Sector Strength
- 68
- Industry
- Banks - Regional
Business First Bancshares Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST) serves as the bank holding company for b1BANK, delivering an extensive array of banking products and financial services. Its deposit offerings include checking, demand, money market, time, and savings accounts,...
How the Company Makes Money
The company primarily makes money through its banking subsidiary by earning net interest income and generating noninterest income. Net interest income is driven by interest earned on loans (such as commercial and industrial loans, commercial real est...
Business First Bancshares Earnings Call Summary
The call was broadly positive. Management reported strong core profitability, balanced loan and deposit growth, net interest margin expansion, disciplined expenses, successful acquisition integration and multiple regional growth opportunities. The principal challenges were slower-than-hoped credit improvement, higher charge-offs from a previously identified relationship, below-expectation fee revenue and competitive pressure on deposit pricing. Management nevertheless expressed confidence in continued improvement in profitability, credit metrics and capital generation.
Q3-2026 Updates
Positive Updates
Negative Updates
Company Guidance
Management expects Q4 loan growth of “mid to upper single-digit growth,” margin expansion in Q4, and, “as long as rates are measured,” “low-to-mid single-digit margin expansion quarterly, depending on that lag, is probably achievable and reasonable,” first in Q4 and then depending on future moves; loan accretion is expected to average about $500,000 for the next few quarters, Q4 core non-interest expense is expected to be about $57 million as the base case, followed by a low single-digit organic growth rate going forward over the next year, and non-interest revenue and bottom-line earnings remain on pace to improve 20% year-over-year, with that trend expected to continue. Management expects to reduce NPAs in Q4, with reductions “upwards of $15 million in the fourth quarter,” continuing throughout the first half of next year, and targets an NPL percentage of loans of 50 basis points or less; it also has a glide path to a 1.25% ROAA goal in Q4, while expecting continued improvement in core profitability into 2027.
Business First Bancshares Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Overall fundamentals are healthy: solid profitability, improving leverage versus earlier years, and strong cash conversion with a sharp TTM free-cash-flow rebound. The main offset is near-term softness in the latest TTM income trend versus the 2024–2025 run-rate, suggesting some pressure that bears monitoring.
Income Statement
74PositiveBalance Sheet
71PositiveCash Flow
78Positive| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 465.07M | 511.93M | 457.75M | 385.62M | 264.08M | 203.11M |
| Gross Profit | 270.21M | 311.86M | 259.50M | 242.94M | 216.65M | 178.51M |
| EBITDA | 113.00M | 119.09M | 88.31M | 95.26M | 73.41M | 68.72M |
| Net Income | 94.65M | 87.86M | 65.11M | 71.04M | 54.26M | 52.14M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 8.96B | 8.21B | 7.86B | 6.58B | 5.99B | 4.73B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 1.67B | 1.00B | 347.76M | 1.11B | 1.04B | 1.09B |
| Total Debt | 483.02M | 551.35M | 483.26M | 635.07M | 560.12M | 187.59M |
| Total Liabilities | 7.95B | 7.32B | 7.06B | 5.94B | 5.41B | 4.29B |
| Stockholders Equity | 1.00B | 896.88M | 799.47M | 644.26M | 580.48M | 433.37M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 111.76M | 92.08M | 59.84M | 80.78M | 61.80M | 52.47M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 114.42M | 92.08M | 61.40M | 92.43M | 69.58M | 56.44M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -143.44M | -281.53M | -294.91M | -521.14M | -700.52M | -675.35M |
| Financing Cash Flow | 119.98M | 281.52M | 326.50M | 502.08M | 715.31M | 538.15M |
Business First Bancshares Technical Analysis
Price Trends
Market Momentum
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For BFST, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 32.56 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 31.89, above the 50-day MA of 31.29, and above the 200-day MA of 29.37, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.43 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 61.25 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 64.75 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for BFST.
Business First Bancshares Risk Analysis
Business First Bancshares disclosed 56 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Business First Bancshares reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Latest Risks Added
3 New RisksBusiness First Bancshares Peers Comparison
Overall Rating
RRBI79.55Outperform- BFST75Outperform
EQBK72Outperform
OBK72Outperform
TCBX70Outperform
ISTR63Neutral
Financial Indicators
| Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RRBI | 80Outperform | $689.82M | 14.33 | 12.68% | 0.86% | 6.95% | 20.01% |
| BFST | 75Outperform | $1.06B | 11.63 | 9.71% | 1.84% | 7.18% | 7.94% |
| EQBK | 72Outperform | $1.01B | 10.63 | 11.56% | 1.54% | 52.75% | 266.60% |
| OBK | 72Outperform | $1.65B | 12.40 | 10.20% | 1.48% | 5.03% | 117.09% |
| TCBX | 70Outperform | $661.23M | 8.75 | 11.91% | ― | 17.96% | 9.46% |
| Sector * | 68Neutral | $18.00B | 11.42 | 9.92% | 3.81% | 9.73% | 1.22% |
| ISTR | 63Neutral | $386.14M | 9.91 | 10.09% | 1.63% | 33.89% | 24.02% |
* Financial Sector Average
Performance Comparison
| Show on chart | Ticker | Company Name | Price | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BFST | Business First Bancshares | 32.56 | 7.83 | 31.68% | |
| ISTR | Investar Holding Corp. | 28.15 | 4.66 | 19.83% | |
| EQBK | Equity Bancshares Inc. | 49.20 | 8.01 | 19.46% | |
| OBK | Origin Bancorp, Inc. | 53.99 | 19.69 | 57.42% | |
| RRBI | Red River Bancshares | 104.06 | 37.28 | 55.83% | |
| TCBX | Third Coast Bancshares Inc | 39.89 | 2.33 | 6.20% |
Business First Bancshares Corporate Events
Business First Bancshares Reports Strong Third-Quarter Earnings Growth
PositiveBusiness First Bancshares, Inc. reported unaudited results for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, with net income to common shareholders of $23.2 million, or $0.71 per diluted share, modestly higher than the prior quarter. Core non-GAAP net income...
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.
Date of analysis: Nov 04, 2026