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Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST)

Financial Services | Banks - Regional | Baton Rouge, United States | NasdaqGS
31.31 USD +0.18 (0.578%) ⇧ (Oct. 16, 2026, 4 p.m. EDT)
After hours: 31.31

Short-term:★★⯪☆☆Long-term:★★★☆☆Dividends:★★★☆☆
Hot Take ↕ | Oct. 10, 2026, 10:25 a.m. EDT

Business First Bancshares presents a compelling value case for patient capital but lacks the explosive momentum required for aggressive short-term plays. Fundamentally, the bank is trading at a discount to its book value (P/B of 1.06) with a robust 27.8% profit margin and a healthy 12.7% revenue growth trajectory. The balance sheet appears sound, supported by a low payout ratio of 21%, which leaves ample room for future dividend increases or share buybacks. However, the multi-year price trajectory tells a different story; despite the improving fundamentals, the stock has underperformed significantly over the last seven years, dropping roughly 12% cumulatively. This disconnect suggests the market remains skeptical about the bank's ability to sustain its growth or navigate regional banking risks. While the analyst consensus is bullish with a target implying 14% upside, the recent price action shows the stock struggling to break above its 50-day average, creating a ceiling for immediate gains. For investors, this is a 'hold' or 'accumulate on dips' situation rather than a 'run-up' opportunity. The dividend is decent but not a primary driver given the modest yield. The real opportunity lies in waiting for the market to fully recognize the turnaround in fundamentals, which may take time.

Model Selection — Backtest MAE (log-scale, lower is better)
ModelMAE
MSTL ✓0.023471
AutoETS0.023922
AutoARIMA0.023924
AutoTheta0.025676

Forecast horizon: 45 days | Selected: MSTL

Forecast Reliability
Score 46%
H-stat 24.45
Ljung-Box p 0.000
Jarque-Bera p 0.575
Excess Kurtosis -0.68
Attribute Value
Sector Financial Services
Ex Dividend Date 2026-08-13
Last Dividend Date 2026-08-13
Revenue per Share 10.77
Market Cap 1,019,136,832
Trailing P/E 11.14
Forward P/E 9.41
Beta 0.78
Profit Margins 27.83%
Website https://www.b1bank.com

As of Oct. 10, 2026, 10:25 a.m. EDT: Speculators are positioning for a range-bound scenario with heavy out-of-the-money call interest at the $40 strike, suggesting a speculative bet on a significant upside breakout. Conversely, the November 2026 expiry shows a massive, concentrated block of put volume at the $35 strike, indicating a specific hedge against a drop to that level or a bearish view on the near-term trend. Overall, the flow suggests a 'straddle' mentality where traders are betting on volatility expansion rather than a clear directional move.


Dividend Data

Yield Summary
Last Yield 1yr Yield 3yr Avg 5yr Avg
0.47% 2.14% 2.30% 2.27%
Dividend History
Date Dividend Yield %
2026-08-14 0.15 0.466999
2026-05-15 0.15 0.558867
2026-02-13 0.15 0.514580
2025-11-14 0.15 0.595711
2025-08-15 0.14 0.588730
2025-05-15 0.14 0.565200
2025-02-14 0.14 0.510204
2024-11-15 0.14 0.496454
2024-08-15 0.14 0.633198
2024-05-14 0.14 0.659134
2024-02-14 0.14 0.654206
2023-11-14 0.14 0.649050
2023-08-14 0.12 0.574713
2023-05-12 0.12 0.863931
2023-02-14 0.12 0.592593
2022-11-14 0.12 0.505902
2022-08-12 0.12 0.488003
2022-05-12 0.12 0.555298
2022-02-14 0.12 0.447594
2021-11-12 0.12 0.424178
2021-08-12 0.12 0.501044
2021-05-13 0.12 0.503990
2021-02-11 0.10 0.458505
2020-11-12 0.10 0.533618
2020-08-13 0.10 0.684931
2020-05-14 0.10 0.902527
2020-02-13 0.10 0.377358
2019-11-14 0.10 0.405515
2019-08-14 0.10 0.440917
2019-05-14 0.10 0.394633
2019-02-14 0.08 0.327869
2018-11-14 0.08 0.311284
2018-08-14 0.08 0.316456
2018-05-14 0.08 0.320000
Additional Data
dividendRate 0.6
dividendYield 1.93
exDividendDate 2026-08-14
trailingAnnualDividendRate 0.6
trailingAnnualDividendYield 0.019274013
lastDividendValue 0.15
lastDividendDate 2026-08-14
dividendDate 2026-08-31

Info Dump

Attribute Value
52 Week Change 0.3435477
Address1 500 Laurel Street
Address2 Suite 101
All Time High 32.525
All Time Low 9.17
Ask 40.32
Ask Size 2
Audit Risk 9
Average Daily Volume10 Day 192,400
Average Daily Volume3 Month 215,452
Average Volume 215,452
Average Volume10Days 192,400
Beta 0.776
Bid 22.32
Bid Size 2
Board Risk 9
Book Value 28.788
City Baton Rouge
Compensation As Of Epoch Date 1,767,139,200
Compensation Risk 4
Country United States
Crypto Tradeable 0
Currency USD
Current Price 31.31
Custom Price Alert Confidence HIGH
Date Short Interest 1,790,726,400
Day High 31.62
Day Low 31.18
Display Name Business First Bancshares
Dividend Date 1,788,134,400
Dividend Rate 0.6
Dividend Yield 1.93
Earnings Call Timestamp End 1,793,044,800
Earnings Call Timestamp Start 1,793,044,800
Earnings Growth 0.0
Earnings Quarterly Growth 0.094
Earnings Timestamp 1,793,017,800
Earnings Timestamp End 1,793,017,800
Earnings Timestamp Start 1,793,017,800
Ebitda Margins 0.0
Enterprise To Revenue 3.01
Enterprise Value 1,005,302,848
Eps Current Year 3.0075
Eps Forward 3.328
Eps Trailing Twelve Months 2.81
Esg Populated 0
Ex Dividend Date 1,786,665,600
Exchange NMS
Exchange Data Delayed By 15
Exchange Timezone Name America/New_York
Exchange Timezone Short Name EDT
Fifty Day Average 31.1352
Fifty Day Average Change 0.17479897
Fifty Day Average Change Percent 0.0056141913
Fifty Two Week Change Percent 34.35477
Fifty Two Week High 32.525
Fifty Two Week High Change -1.2150021
Fifty Two Week High Change Percent -0.03735594
Fifty Two Week Low 22.81
Fifty Two Week Low Change 8.5
Fifty Two Week Low Change Percent 0.3726436
Fifty Two Week Range 22.81 - 32.525
Financial Currency USD
First Trade Date Milliseconds 1,524,490,200,000
Five Year Avg Dividend Yield 2.19
Float Shares 30,922,063
Forward Eps 3.328
Forward P E 9.408052
Full Exchange Name NasdaqGS
Full Time Employees 821
Fullday Change 0.1800003
Fullday Change Percent 0.5782214
Fullday Price 31.31
Gmt Off Set Milliseconds -14,400,000
Governance Epoch Date 1,790,812,800
Gross Margins 0.0
Gross Profits 334,000,000
Has Pre Post Market Data 1
Held Percent Insiders 0.0463
Held Percent Institutions 0.59129
Implied Shares Outstanding 32,549,883
Industry Banks - Regional
Industry Disp Banks - Regional
Industry Key banks-regional
Is Earnings Date Estimate 0
Language en-US
Last Dividend Date 1,786,665,600
Last Dividend Value 0.15
Last Fiscal Year End 1,767,139,200
Long Business Summary Business First Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for b1BANK that provides various banking products and services in Louisiana and Texas. It offers various deposit products and services, including checking and savings, time, and money market accounts; and certificates of deposits, remote deposit capture, and direct deposit services. The company also provides commercial and industrial loans, such as working capital, term, equipment financing, asset acquisition, expansion and development, borrowing base, and other loan products, as well as commercial lines of credit, accounts receivable factoring, agricultural financing, and letters of credit; construction and development loans; commercial real estate loans; residential real estate loans comprising first and second lien 1-4 family mortgage loans, and home equity lines of credit; and consumer loans, including secured and unsecured installment, and term loans. In addition, it offers wealth management products, including mutual funds, annuities, individual retirement accounts, and other financial products, as well as other fiduciary and private banking products and services. Further, the company provides a range of other financial services comprising debit and credit cards, treasury and cash management, merchant, automated clearing house, lock-box, receivables factoring, correspondent banking, and other treasury services, as well as employee and payroll benefits solutions; and drive-through banking facilities, automated teller machines, night depository, personalized checks, electronic funds transfer, domestic and foreign wire transfer, traveler's checks, vault, loan and deposit sweep accounts, interest-rate swaps, small business administration products, online and mobile banking, e-statements, and bank-by-mail services. Business First Bancshares, Inc. was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Long Name Business First Bancshares, Inc.
Market us_market
Market Cap 1,019,136,832
Market State CLOSED
Max Age 86,400
Message Board Id finmb_45842867
Most Recent Quarter 1,782,777,600
Net Income To Common 87,553,000
Next Fiscal Year End 1,798,675,200
Non Diluted Market Cap 988,539,946
Number Of Analyst Opinions 5
Open 31.18
Operating Cashflow 103,295,000
Operating Margins 0.34633
Overall Risk 5
Payout Ratio 0.21
Phone 225 248 7600
Post Market Change 0.0
Post Market Change Percent 0.0
Post Market Price 31.31
Post Market Time 1,792,180,813
Previous Close 31.13
Price Eps Current Year 10.41064
Price Hint 2
Price To Book 1.087606
Price To Sales Trailing12 Months 3.051308
Profit Margins 0.27831
Quote Source Name Nasdaq Real Time Price
Quote Type EQUITY
Recommendation Key none
Region US
Regular Market Change 0.18
Regular Market Change Percent 0.578221
Regular Market Day High 31.62
Regular Market Day Low 31.18
Regular Market Day Range 31.18 - 31.62
Regular Market Open 31.18
Regular Market Previous Close 31.13
Regular Market Price 31.31
Regular Market Time 1,792,180,801
Regular Market Volume 155,909
Return On Assets 0.011030001
Return On Equity 0.100109994
Revenue Growth 0.127
Revenue Per Share 10.77
Sand P52 Week Change 0.16207206
Sector Financial Services
Sector Disp Financial Services
Sector Key financial-services
Share Holder Rights Risk 2
Shares Outstanding 32,549,883
Shares Percent Shares Out 0.038
Shares Short 1,236,013
Shares Short Previous Month Date 1,788,134,400
Shares Short Prior Month 1,014,751
Short Name Business First Bancshares, Inc.
Short Percent Of Float 0.04
Short Ratio 5.92
Source Interval 15
State LA
Symbol BFST
Target High Price 37.0
Target Low Price 32.5
Target Mean Price 34.9
Target Median Price 35.0
Total Cash 701,841,024
Total Cash Per Share 21.562
Total Debt 616,076,992
Total Revenue 334,000,000
Tradeable 0
Trailing Annual Dividend Rate 0.6
Trailing Annual Dividend Yield 0.019274013
Trailing Eps 2.81
Trailing P E 11.142349
Trailing Peg Ratio None
Triggerable 1
Two Hundred Day Average 29.059
Two Hundred Day Average Change 2.2509995
Two Hundred Day Average Change Percent 0.077463076
Type Disp Equity
Volume 155,909
Website https://www.b1bank.com
Zip 70,801