George Cummings III Sells 10,000 Shares of Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) Stock

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) Director George Cummings III sold 10,000 shares of Business First Bancshares stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.08, for a total value of $320,800.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 231,180 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,416,254.40. This trade represents a 4.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Business First Bancshares Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of Business First Bancshares stock opened at $31.82 on Friday. Business First Bancshares, Inc. has a 1 year low of $22.56 and a 1 year high of $32.39. The company has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.28 and a beta of 0.78. The company’s fifty day moving average is $29.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 0.98.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.01. Business First Bancshares had a return on equity of 11.31% and a net margin of 17.07%.The firm had revenue of $91.81 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $91.31 million. Analysts forecast that Business First Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Business First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. Business First Bancshares’s payout ratio is 21.28%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on BFST. Hovde Group boosted their target price on Business First Bancshares from $32.50 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. DA Davidson raised their price target on Business First Bancshares from $33.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Stephens lifted their price target on Business First Bancshares from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $34.50.

Trending Headlines about Business First Bancshares

Here are the key news stories impacting Business First Bancshares this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish following the quarterly results: Stephens and Hovde Group raised their price targets to $36, while DA Davidson lifted its target to $35. The consensus rating is “Buy,” with an average target of $34.50, implying additional upside from recent levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Business First Bancshares reported quarterly EPS of $0.71, slightly ahead of the $0.70 consensus estimate. The bank also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, or $0.60 annualized, representing a yield of approximately 1.9% and a payout ratio of 21.28%.
• Positive Sentiment: Director Rick Day purchased 1,500 shares for approximately $47,415, modestly increasing his ownership and providing a small vote of confidence from an insider. Insider Buying: Business First Bancshares Director Acquires Shares
• Neutral Sentiment: BFST trades above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and near its 52-week high, indicating strong recent momentum but also leaving the stock more sensitive to profit-taking. Institutional investors own approximately 47.35% of the shares.
• Negative Sentiment: Several insiders sold shares in recent transactions. Director George W. Cummings III sold a combined 20,000 shares for roughly $639,400, COO Keith Mansfield sold 4,200 shares for $134,736, and Director Joseph Vernon Johnson sold 12,000 shares for approximately $379,800. Although each executive retains a substantial stake, the cluster of sales may be interpreted as a near-term caution signal. Business First Bancshares Insider Sale SEC Filing

Institutional Trading of Business First Bancshares

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its position in Business First Bancshares by 255.8% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 441,853 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,948,000 after purchasing an additional 317,650 shares in the last quarter. Royce & Associates LP grew its holdings in Business First Bancshares by 27.0% in the fourth quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 823,364 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,523,000 after purchasing an additional 175,284 shares during the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC increased its position in shares of Business First Bancshares by 1,532.5% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 159,481 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,883,000 after buying an additional 149,712 shares in the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP increased its position in shares of Business First Bancshares by 467.0% in the third quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 107,684 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,542,000 after buying an additional 88,693 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Business First Bancshares by 7.5% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,165,720 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,520,000 after buying an additional 81,833 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 47.35% of the company’s stock.

Business First Bancshares Company Profile

Business First Bancshares, Inc is the bank holding company for Business First Bank, a regional community bank headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the company provides a full suite of commercial and retail banking services to small and medium-sized businesses, professionals and individual consumers. Business First Bancshares operates under a community-focused model, emphasizing personalized service, local decision-making and relationship banking.

The company’s primary business activities include commercial lending, treasury and cash management, and deposit services.