Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Hovde Group Analyst Says

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) had its price target boosted by equities researchers at Hovde Group from $32.50 to $36.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm presently has an “outperform” rating on the stock. Hovde Group’s target price indicates a potential upside of 15.53% from the stock’s previous close.

BFST has been the topic of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research report on Monday, July 6th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $33.00 price objective on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Stephens set a $33.00 target price on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research note on Monday, April 27th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Business First Bancshares has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.00.

Business First Bancshares Stock Performance

Shares of Business First Bancshares stock opened at $31.16 on Friday. Business First Bancshares has a one year low of $22.56 and a one year high of $31.57. The company has a market cap of $1.02 billion, a PE ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 0.98. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $29.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $28.24.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $91.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $91.31 million. Business First Bancshares had a net margin of 17.07% and a return on equity of 11.31%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Business First Bancshares will post 3.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Business First Bancshares

In related news, Director George W. Cummings III sold 15,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.54, for a total value of $428,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 281,180 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,024,877.20. This represents a 5.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders sold 36,595 shares of company stock valued at $1,031,732 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 5.67% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Business First Bancshares

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of BFST. MQS Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Business First Bancshares in the 1st quarter valued at $579,000. Royce & Associates LP raised its stake in Business First Bancshares by 27.0% during the 4th quarter. Royce & Associates LP now owns 823,364 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,523,000 after acquiring an additional 175,284 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Business First Bancshares in the first quarter valued at $1,282,000. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Business First Bancshares in the first quarter valued at $1,608,000. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Business First Bancshares in the first quarter valued at $801,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 47.35% of the company’s stock.

More Business First Bancshares News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Business First reported Q2 EPS of $0.71, slightly ahead of Wall Street’s $0.70 estimate, while revenue of $91.0 million came in roughly in line; investors also saw solid profitability metrics, including a 17.02% net margin and 11.10% return on equity. Business First Bancshares earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens raised its price target on BFST from $34 to $36 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling confidence in additional upside. Stephens price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Hovde Group also lifted its target from $32.50 to $36 and maintained an outperform rating, reinforcing the bullish post-earnings tone. Hovde Group price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, which supports the stock’s income appeal for shareholders. Business First Bancshares Q2 2026 results and dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector commentary has also been constructive, with regional banks broadly reporting solid loan and deposit growth and improved credit quality, which adds a favorable backdrop for BFST. Zacks BFST Q2 metrics analysis

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.