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Business First Bancshares Inc

Business First Bancshares Inc

BFST
$31.42USD↓-0.10%-0.03 today

MARKET CAP

1.0B

P/E (TTM)

11.3x

FWD P/E

—

DAY RANGE

$31 – $32

52W RANGE

$23
$33

AI Summary

Stalk
StalkMedium

BFST remains in a structural Stage 2 uptrend with clear higher highs and higher lows. Price is currently pulling back into its rising 9-day and 20-day EMAs and the 50-day SMA, offering a low-risk entry zone. The medium-term bias stays bullish with intact SMA50 support, while short-term timing is neutral until acceptance near these key moving averages is confirmed. Deferred entry via pullback interaction into the EMA/SMA support area is recommended.

  • ↑Q1 2026 net income $24M (EPS $0.73) delivered best quarterly core performance
  • ↑Progressive Bank acquisition added $774M assets, boosting market share in Louisiana and Texas
  • ↓Q2 2026 deposits dropped $229.4M due to commercial money market outflows
Full analysis →

The case for & against

Bull & Bear analysis

Bullish

Business First Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ: BFST) operates primarily in the banking sector, providing a range of financial services focused on commercial banking, loans, and deposit products. The company has established a growing presence in Louisiana and Texas and has recently expanded its footprint through strategic acquisitions, notably the acquisition of Progressive Bank. This positions BFST as a key player in the regional banking landscape amidst evolving economic conditions.

Bull says

  • ↑Q1 2026 net income $24M (EPS $0.73) delivered best quarterly core performance
  • ↑Progressive Bank acquisition added $774M assets, boosting market share in Louisiana and Texas
  • ↑Total loans grew $494.8M, with management targeting mid-single-digit organic loan growth
  • ↑Seven straight years of dividend hikes and opportunistic buybacks enhance shareholder returns
  • ↑Louisiana’s $150B capital investments boost regional economic growth and loan demand
  • ↑High earnings yield and favorable book-to-price suggest potential undervaluation

Bear says

  • ↓Q2 2026 deposits dropped $229.4M due to commercial money market outflows
  • ↓Non-performing loans rose to 1.53%, with about 30% awaiting resolution
  • ↓Net interest margin fell 6bps QoQ, compressing profitability amid rising rates
  • ↓Integration of Progressive Bank poses execution risks and potential disruptions
  • ↓Weak profitability factors and negative analyst revisions signal uncertain earnings outlook
  • ↓Low institutional ownership and rising short interest reflect waning investor confidence

Earnings Call · Q1 2025 · Mgmt. Guidance

Updated 08-14-2026neutral

Transcript signals

Bull points

  • first quarter results were highlighted by good expense management, strong fee income, and solid margin expansion.
  • manage to generate approximately $380 million from new deposit account relationships.
  • Total interest-bearing deposits costs declined 18 basis points from the linked quarter highlighted 26 basis points quarter over quarter in reduction in overall money market deposits and 17 basis points reduction in overall cost of time deposits.

Bear points

  • Total deposits decreased 53.2 million, mostly due to net decreases in non-interest-bearing deposits of 48.7 million on a linked quarter basis. The net decline was primarily driven by customer withdrawals as opposed to full account closures.
  • During the first quarter, NPAs increased 27 basis points from 0.42% in Q4 to 0.69% in Q1, with the increase driven by two CNI relationships, totaling $8.4 million.
  • We did experience modest negative credit migration during the quarter, primarily due to two C&I relationships.
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