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Southern First Bancshares
(NASDAQ:SFST)
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Rating:69Neutral
Price Target:
$68.00
▲(9.75% Upside)
Action:Downgraded
Date:08/28/26
SFST scores as moderately attractive primarily due to improving profitability, solid cash conversion, and better leverage trends in the financial statements. Offsetting this, technicals show only lukewarm-to-weak near-term momentum, while valuation is reasonable but lacks dividend yield support in the provided data. Corporate actions and recent company updates (buyback and strong quarter) modestly lift the outlook.
Positive Factors
Improving profitability and cash conversion
The rebound in profitability and close conversion of earnings into cash indicate stronger operating economics. Sustained cash generation can support reinvestment, capital resilience, and shareholder returns while reducing reliance on external funding.
Negative Factors
Meaningful leverage remains
Although leverage has improved, remaining debt leaves the bank more exposed to funding costs, refinancing conditions, and balance-sheet shocks than a lower-leverage peer. This can constrain flexibility during credit or liquidity stress.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Improving profitability and cash conversion
The rebound in profitability and close conversion of earnings into cash indicate stronger operating economics. Sustained cash generation can support reinvestment, capital resilience, and shareholder returns while reducing reliance on external funding.
Read all positive factors
Southern First Bancshares (SFST) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)
Market Cap
$586.92M
Dividend YieldN/A
Average Volume (3M)17.98K
Price to Earnings (P/E)13.1
Beta (1Y)0.87
Revenue Growth8.92%
EPS Growth74.86%
CountryUS
Employees315
SectorFinancial
Sector Strength70
IndustryBanks - Regional
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)4.73
Shares Outstanding9,471,755
10 Day Avg. Volume14,806
30 Day Avg. Volume17,982
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio0.14
Price to Book (P/B)1.12
Price to Sales (P/S)1.85
P/FCF Ratio13.88
Enterprise Value/Market Cap<0.01
Enterprise Value/Revenue<0.01
Enterprise Value/Gross Profit<0.01
Enterprise Value/Ebitda<0.01
Forecast
1Y Price Target
$67.00Price Target Upside8.13% Upside
Rating ConsensusHold
Number of Analyst Covering1
EPS Forecast (FY)5.05
Revenue Forecast (FY)$148.70M
Southern First Bancshares Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Southern First Bancshares, Inc. acts as the parent organization for Southern First Bank, providing a comprehensive range of banking and financial services to individuals and businesses in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Its operations...
How the Company Makes Money
Southern First Bancshares primarily makes money through its banking subsidiary by earning interest and fees from financial services.
1) Net interest income (core earnings driver): The bank generates interest income from loans (e.g., commercial an...
Southern First Bancshares Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
74
Positive
Balance Sheet
71
Positive
Cash Flow
76
Positive
| Breakdown | TTM | Dec 2025 | Dec 2024 | Dec 2023 | Dec 2022 | Dec 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | ||||||
| Total Revenue | 211.64M | 224.62M | 213.32M | 187.46M | 127.64M | 110.26M |
| Gross Profit | 128.81M | 115.14M | 93.33M | 86.25M | 101.44M | 117.23M |
| EBITDA | 54.11M | 44.34M | 24.72M | 22.24M | 41.81M | 63.12M |
| Net Income | 39.60M | 30.37M | 15.53M | 13.43M | 29.11M | 46.71M |
Balance Sheet | ||||||
| Total Assets | 4.70B | 4.40B | 4.09B | 4.06B | 3.69B | 2.93B |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 174.49M | 86.13M | 34.87M | 46.29M | 162.94M | 200.61M |
| Total Debt | 280.23M | 264.90M | 264.90M | 311.32M | 211.21M | 36.11M |
| Total Liabilities | 4.25B | 4.03B | 3.76B | 3.74B | 3.40B | 2.65B |
| Stockholders Equity | 452.27M | 368.66M | 330.44M | 312.47M | 294.51M | 277.90M |
Cash Flow | ||||||
| Free Cash Flow | 39.26M | 29.88M | 24.77M | 16.41M | 36.35M | 51.56M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 41.22M | 30.46M | 25.56M | 17.65M | 50.30M | 78.07M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -301.75M | -206.33M | -28.86M | -378.57M | -792.58M | -410.63M |
| Financing Cash Flow | 351.14M | 282.60M | 9.99M | 346.22M | 745.94M | 399.08M |
Southern First Bancshares Technical Analysis
Positive
61.96
Price Trends
61.88
Positive
59.64
Positive
56.79
Positive
Market Momentum
0.15
Positive
46.74
Neutral
11.65
Positive
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 61.96 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 63.34, above the 50-day MA of 61.88, and above the 200-day MA of 56.79, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 0.15 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 46.74 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 11.65 is Positive, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for SFST.
Southern First Bancshares Risk Analysis
Southern First Bancshares disclosed 46 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Southern First Bancshares reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks
Southern First Bancshares Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
76 Outperform | $523.36M | 12.21 | 13.95% | 1.29% | 9.03% | 108.77% | |
75 Outperform | $465.67M | 11.65 | 10.72% | 2.96% | 6.49% | 35.88% | |
71 Outperform | $680.46M | 20.53 | 7.55% | 3.97% | -21.58% | ― | |
70 Outperform | $485.45M | 14.30 | 6.18% | ― | 12.29% | 97.75% | |
69 Neutral | $586.92M | 13.15 | 10.18% | ― | 8.92% | 74.86% | |
68 Neutral | $18.00B | 11.42 | 9.92% | 3.81% | 9.73% | 1.22% | |
60 Neutral | $482.34M | 12.56 | 14.31% | 3.67% | 0.14% | 32.11% |
* Financial Sector Average
SFST
Southern First Bancshares
62.19
17.09
37.89%
WTBA
West Bancorporation
28.38
9.22
48.13%
BWFG
Bankwell Financial Group
66.32
24.69
59.30%
MSBI
Midland States Bancrop
32.84
15.42
88.52%
FMAO
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
33.90
8.34
32.66%
PDLB
Ponce Financial Group Inc
20.31
5.47
36.86%
Southern First Bancshares Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Southern First Bancshares Announces New $10 Million Buyback
Positive
Aug 28, 2026
Southern First Bancshares, Inc. has authorized a share repurchase plan allowing the company to buy back up to $10.0 million of its common stock, representing about 2% of shares outstanding. The buybacks may occur through open market purchases or p...
Financial DisclosuresPrivate Placements and Financing
Southern First Bancshares Reports Strong Second-Quarter Results
Positive
Jul 21, 2026
Southern First Bancshares reported strong financial performance for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026, with net income rising to $11.2 million and diluted earnings per share reaching $1.20, a 48% increase over the prior-year quarter. Total re...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Southern First Bancshares Adds Veteran Banker to Board
Positive
Jun 2, 2026
On June 1, 2026, Southern First Bancshares, Inc. and Southern First Bank appointed veteran commercial banker Bryan Kennedy to their Boards of Directors and to the Boards’ Risk Committee. Kennedy, who recently retired after a 43-year banking ...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
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.