Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC) Sets New 12-Month High Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Bank First National Corporation (NASDAQ:BFC)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during trading on Friday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The stock traded as high as $141.09 and last traded at $139.3990, with a volume of 49564 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $135.82.

The company reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $49.68 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $43.75 million. Bank First National had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 11.68%.

Bank First National Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be given a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a boost from Bank First National’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.5%. Bank First National’s payout ratio is 24.90%.

Key Bank First National News

Here are the key news stories impacting Bank First National this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Reported Q4 beat — Bank First posted $2.00 EPS vs. a $1.75 consensus and revenue of $49.68M vs. $43.75M expected; margins and profitability were strong, which supports near-term share strength. Zacks: BFC Beats Q4
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend raised — the board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.50/share (11.1% increase from $0.45). Record/ex-dividend timing announced (record Mar 25; pay Apr 8), which signals confidence in earnings and returns capital to shareholders. PR Newswire: Dividend & Net Income
• Positive Sentiment: Company-level results — PR Newswire/press materials show Q4 net income of $18.4M and full-year net income of $71.5M, with annual EPS of $7.23 and solid quarterly annualized ROA (~1.65%). These fundamentals back the earnings beat and dividend increase. PR Newswire: Net Income Details
• Neutral Sentiment: Higher trading interest — volume spiked well above average during the move, indicating increased investor attention; price sits near its 52-week high and above both the 50- and 200-day moving averages, which could limit further upside without continued catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Modest yield and valuation — the new dividend yields ~1.4% and the stock trades at a P/E around 19, which may temper interest from income-focused investors seeking higher yields.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

BFC has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Hovde Group boosted their price objective on Bank First National from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of Bank First National from $137.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Bank First National in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of Bank First National from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Bank First National presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $146.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. State of Alaska Department of Revenue purchased a new position in Bank First National during the third quarter worth approximately $48,000. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bank First National by 17.0% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 669 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bank First National by 17,650.0% during the 2nd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 710 shares of the company’s stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 706 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Bank First National during the 3rd quarter valued at about $94,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in shares of Bank First National by 22.5% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 816 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. 29.95% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Bank First National Trading Up 1.1%

The stock has a market capitalization of $1.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.99 and a beta of 0.42. The company’s 50-day moving average is $127.76 and its 200-day moving average is $126.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.99, a current ratio of 0.99 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02.

Bank First National Company Profile

Bank First National Corporation (NASDAQ: BFC) is the bank holding company for Bank First National, a community bank headquartered in Princeton, Wisconsin. The company offers a comprehensive suite of financial services designed to meet the needs of individuals, families, small businesses and agricultural clients. Through its branch network and digital channels, Bank First National provides deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, mortgage financing and treasury management solutions.

The bank’s core deposit products include checking and savings accounts, money market funds and certificates of deposit, complemented by online and mobile banking platforms that enable customers to manage their finances remotely.