Southern First Bancshares (SFST) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $361.22M
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 17.98K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 13.7
• Beta (1Y): 0.96
• Revenue Growth: 4.74%
• EPS Growth: 86.27%
• Country: US
• Employees: 297
• Sector: Financial
• Sector Strength: 70
• Industry: Banks - Regional
• EPS (TTM): 1.07
• Shares Outstanding: 8,189,177
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 14,806
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 17,982
• PEG Ratio: 1.38
• Price to Book (P/B): 0.97
• Price to Sales (P/S): 1.51
• P/FCF Ratio: 12.97
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 1.58
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 2.59
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 5.23
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 15.36
• 1Y Price Target: N/A
• Price Target Upside: N/A
• Rating Consensus: Moderate Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 0

• Rating: 69 Neutral
• Price Target: $48.00 ▲(8.82% Upside)

Southern First Bancshares shows a solid financial performance with strong revenue growth and low leverage. However, challenges in profitability and cash flow generation are areas of concern. The technical indicators suggest a neutral trend, and the valuation appears reasonable. The absence of dividend yield and earnings call data limits further insights.

Southern First Bancshares Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Southern First Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Southern First Bank that provides various banking products and services to general public in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. It operates through three segments: Commercial and Retail Banking, Mortgage Banking, and Corporate Operations. The company accepts various deposit products that include checking accounts, commercial checking accounts, and savings accounts, as well as other time deposits, including daily money market accounts and long-term certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises commercial real estate loans; construction real estate loans; commercial business loans for various lines of businesses, such as the manufacturing, service industry, and professional service areas; consumer real estate and home equity loans; and other consumer loans, including secured and unsecured installment loans and revolving lines of credit. In addition, the company provides other bank services, such as internet banking, cash management, safe deposit boxes, direct deposit, automatic drafts, bill payment, and mobile banking services. It operates through eight retail offices located in Greenville, Charleston, and Columbia; three retail offices located in Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte markets; and one retail office located in Atlanta. The company was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina.

How the Company Makes Money

Southern First Bancshares generates revenue primarily through net interest income, which is the difference between the interest earned on loans and the interest paid on deposits. The bank provides various loan products, including residential mortgages, commercial real estate loans, and consumer loans, which are significant sources of interest income. Additionally, SFST earns non-interest income through service fees on deposit accounts, wealth management services, and other banking fees. The company may also engage in partnerships or collaborations with local businesses to enhance its service offerings and expand its customer base, contributing to its overall revenue stream.

Southern First Bancshares Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Southern First Bancshares exhibits strong revenue growth and improving profitability, supported by a stable balance sheet with manageable leverage. Cash flow generation is robust, although there is room for improvement in operational efficiency and cash flow stability. Overall, the company is on a positive trajectory with solid financial health.

Income Statement

Southern First Bancshares shows a strong revenue growth rate of 73.6% in the TTM, indicating robust expansion. The gross profit margin is healthy at 47.5%, and the net profit margin has improved to 10.1%, reflecting enhanced profitability. However, the EBIT and EBITDA margins, while improving, suggest room for further operational efficiency improvements.

Balance Sheet

The company's debt-to-equity ratio has improved to 0.77, indicating a manageable level of leverage. Return on equity is modest at 6.5%, suggesting moderate profitability relative to shareholder equity. The equity ratio stands at 8.0%, reflecting a stable capital structure but with potential for increased equity financing.

Cash Flow

Free cash flow growth is strong at 18.4%, indicating improved cash generation capabilities. The operating cash flow to net income ratio is low at 1.2%, suggesting potential volatility in cash flow relative to earnings. The free cash flow to net income ratio is high at 98.5%, demonstrating effective conversion of earnings into cash.

Breakdown	TTM	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021	Dec 2020
Income Statement
Total Revenue	220.88M	213.32M	187.46M	127.64M	110.26M	122.17M
Gross Profit	109.36M	93.33M	86.25M	101.44M	117.23M	77.56M
EBITDA	37.21M	24.72M	22.24M	41.81M	63.12M	26.01M
Net Income	26.14M	15.53M	13.43M	29.11M	46.71M	18.33M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	4.36B	4.09B	4.06B	3.69B	2.93B	2.48B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	141.14M	34.87M	46.29M	162.94M	200.61M	173.67M
Total Debt	264.90M	264.90M	311.32M	211.21M	36.11M	61.00M
Total Liabilities	4.00B	3.76B	3.74B	3.40B	2.65B	2.25B
Stockholders Equity	4.32B	330.44M	312.47M	294.51M	277.90M	228.29M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	30.21M	24.77M	16.41M	36.35M	51.56M	13.34M
Operating Cash Flow	30.74M	25.56M	17.65M	50.30M	78.07M	20.62M
Investing Cash Flow	-166.77M	-28.86M	-378.57M	-792.58M	-410.63M	-230.77M
Financing Cash Flow	158.36M	9.99M	346.22M	745.94M	399.08M	183.02M

Southern First Bancshares Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 44.11
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Positive
• MACD: Negative
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For SFST, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 44.11 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 42.86, above the 50-day MA of 43.94, and above the 200-day MA of 38.42, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 0.08 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 54.68 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 60.37 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for SFST.

Southern First Bancshares Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
WTBA	―	$366.60M	11.41	13.14%	5.04%	4.47%	49.09%
BWFG	―	$338.87M	11.93	10.08%	1.82%	2.52%	86.70%
SFST	―	$361.22M	13.68	7.65%	―	4.74%	86.27%
FMAO	―	$328.00M	10.40	8.98%	3.73%	6.52%	36.77%
Sector *	―	$18.00B	11.42	9.92%	3.81%	9.73%	1.22%
PDLB	―	$337.70M	15.84	4.16%	―	16.03%	145.10%
MSBI	―	$343.40M	-2.64	-17.50%	8.54%	12.76%	-401.34%

Southern First Bancshares Corporate Events

Southern First Bancshares Reports Strong Q3 2025 Results

Southern First Bancshares reported strong financial results for the third quarter of 2025, with a significant increase in earnings per share and net interest margin compared to previous quarters and the same period last year. The company achieved historically high revenue growth, driven by superior asset quality and margin expansion, and is well-positioned to benefit from ongoing banking industry consolidation, despite maintaining a cautious outlook.

The most recent analyst rating on (SFST) stock is a Hold with a $46.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Southern First Bancshares stock, see the SFST Stock Forecast page.