Stephens Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) Stock

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) had its target price boosted by Stephens from $34.00 to $36.00 in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Stephens’ target price indicates a potential upside of 15.53% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $33.00 price target on shares of Business First Bancshares in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Hovde Group increased their price objective on shares of Business First Bancshares from $32.50 to $36.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $34.00.

Business First Bancshares Stock Performance

Shares of BFST stock opened at $31.16 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Business First Bancshares has a 12-month low of $22.56 and a 12-month high of $31.57. The business’s 50 day moving average is $29.39 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.24. The company has a market capitalization of $1.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 0.78.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.70 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $91.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $91.31 million. Business First Bancshares had a return on equity of 11.31% and a net margin of 17.07%. Analysts expect that Business First Bancshares will post 3.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Business First Bancshares

In related news, Director George W. Cummings III sold 15,000 shares of the business’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 transaction of $428,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 281,180 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,024,877.20. The trade was a 5.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders sold 36,595 shares of company stock worth $1,031,732 in the last three months. 5.67% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Business First Bancshares

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

Key Headlines Impacting Business First Bancshares

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.