Joseph Vernon Johnson Sells 10,000 Shares of Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) Stock

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) Director Joseph Vernon Johnson sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, July 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.75, for a total value of $317,500.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 174,073 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,526,817.75. This trade represents a 5.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.

Joseph Vernon Johnson also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, July 29th, Joseph Vernon Johnson sold 2,000 shares of Business First Bancshares stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.15, for a total transaction of $62,300.00.

Business First Bancshares Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of NASDAQ:BFST opened at $31.82 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a PE ratio of 11.28 and a beta of 0.78. Business First Bancshares, Inc. has a 1 year low of $22.56 and a 1 year high of $32.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $29.81 and its two-hundred day moving average is $28.43.

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 the consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $91.81 million during 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%. Analysts predict that Business First Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.02 EPS for the current year.

Business First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Business First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is 21.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on BFST. DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of Business First Bancshares from $33.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Stephens increased their price objective on Business First Bancshares from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Hovde Group boosted their target price on Business First Bancshares from $32.50 to $36.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $34.50.

Institutional Trading of Business First Bancshares

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Business First Bancshares in the first quarter worth approximately $1,608,000. Janus Henderson Group PLC increased its position in shares of Business First Bancshares by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC now owns 989,686 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,761,000 after purchasing an additional 3,540 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC raised its holdings in shares of Business First Bancshares by 3.4% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 121,404 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,283,000 after purchasing an additional 3,997 shares in the last quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Business First Bancshares by 63.3% in the 1st quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 18,033 shares of the company’s stock valued at $488,000 after purchasing an additional 6,988 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FreeGulliver LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Business First Bancshares during the 1st quarter worth $812,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.35% of the company’s stock.

Key Business First Bancshares News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts remain bullish following the quarterly results: Stephens and Hovde Group raised their price targets to $36, while DA Davidson lifted its target to $35. The consensus rating is “Buy,” with an average target of $34.50, implying additional upside from recent levels.
• Positive Sentiment: Business First Bancshares reported quarterly EPS of $0.71, slightly ahead of the $0.70 consensus estimate. The bank also maintains a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, or $0.60 annualized, representing a yield of approximately 1.9% and a payout ratio of 21.28%.
• Positive Sentiment: Director Rick Day purchased 1,500 shares for approximately $47,415, modestly increasing his ownership and providing a small vote of confidence from an insider. Insider Buying: Business First Bancshares Director Acquires Shares
• Neutral Sentiment: BFST trades above both its 50-day and 200-day moving averages and near its 52-week high, indicating strong recent momentum but also leaving the stock more sensitive to profit-taking. Institutional investors own approximately 47.35% of the shares.
• Negative Sentiment: Several insiders sold shares in recent transactions. Director George W. Cummings III sold a combined 20,000 shares for roughly $639,400, COO Keith Mansfield sold 4,200 shares for $134,736, and Director Joseph Vernon Johnson sold 12,000 shares for approximately $379,800. Although each executive retains a substantial stake, the cluster of sales may be interpreted as a near-term caution signal. Business First Bancshares Insider Sale SEC Filing

About Business First Bancshares

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.