(BFST) Business First Bancshares - Overview
Sector: Financial Services | Industry: Banks - Regional | Exchange: NASDAQ (USA) | Market Cap: 911m USD | Total Return: 19.9% in 12m
Avg Turnover: 4.81M
EPS Trend: 59.0%
Qual. Beats: 0
Rev. Trend: 98.3%
Qual. Beats: 0
Warnings
No concerns identified
Tailwinds
No distinct edge detected
Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST) is a regional bank holding company headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, operating primarily through its subsidiary, b1BANK. The company serves markets across Louisiana and Texas, offering a comprehensive suite of commercial and retail banking services, including deposit products, wealth management, and treasury services.
The business model focuses heavily on commercial and industrial (C&I) lending, providing specialized products such as accounts receivable factoring, equipment financing, and agricultural loans. Regional banks like BFST often differentiate themselves through localized credit decision-making and relationship-based lending, which can be critical in competitive markets like the Texas-Louisiana corridor.
The companys credit portfolio is diversified across construction, real estate, and consumer installment loans, supported by a range of digital and physical banking infrastructure. For more granular data on this companys valuation, consider reviewing the metrics available on ValueRay.
BFST operates within the GICS Regional Banks sub-industry, where profitability is closely tied to net interest margins and the economic health of its specific geographic footprint. Established in 2006, the firm maintains a presence through traditional branches, drive-through facilities, and mobile banking platforms.
- Texas market expansion drives commercial real estate and industrial loan growth
- Net interest margin volatility depends on Federal Reserve interest rate trajectory
- Asset quality in Louisiana energy and agriculture sectors impacts credit loss provisions
- Strategic acquisitions of regional banks influence capital efficiency and scale
- Non-interest income growth relies on treasury management and wealth services expansion
| Net Income: 90.9m TTM > 0 and > 6% of Revenue |
| FCF/TA: 0.01 > 0.02 and ΔFCF/TA -0.05 > 1.0 |
| NWC/Revenue: -1.21k% < 20% (prev -1.29k%; Δ 85.51% < -1%) |
| CFO/TA 0.01 > 3% & CFO 90.0m > Net Income 90.9m |
| Net Debt (-827.0m) to EBITDA (123.0m): -6.73 < 3 |
| Current Ratio: 0.17 > 1.5 & < 3 |
| Outstanding Shares: last quarter (32.8m) vs 12m ago 10.96% < -2% |
| Gross Margin: 61.72% > 18% (prev 0.58%; Δ 6.11k% > 0.5%) |
| Asset Turnover: 6.23% > 50% (prev 6.14%; Δ 0.09% > 0%) |
| Interest Coverage Ratio: 0.61 > 6 (EBITDA TTM 123.0m / Interest Expense TTM 191.4m) |
| A: -0.70 (Total Current Assets 1.25b - Total Current Liabilities 7.52b) / Total Assets 8.91b |
| B: 0.04 (Retained Earnings 343.9m / Total Assets 8.91b) |
| C: 0.01 (EBIT TTM 117.1m / Avg Total Assets 8.35b) |
| D: 0.04 (Book Value of Equity 338.6m / Total Liabilities 7.92b) |
| Altman-Z'' = -4.36 = D |
| DSRI: 1.04 (Receivables 38.2m/33.7m, Revenue 520.2m/478.2m) |
| GMI: 0.93 (GM 61.72% / 57.52%) |
| AQI: 0.90 (AQ_t 0.85 / AQ_t-1 0.94) |
| SGI: 1.09 (Revenue 520.2m / 478.2m) |
| TATA: 0.00 (NI 90.9m - CFO 90.0m) / TA 8.91b) |
| Beneish M = -3.05 (Cap -4..+1) = AA |
As of May 24, 2026, the stock is trading at USD 27.84 with a total of 186,721 shares traded.
Over the past week, the price has changed by +3.73%,
over one month by -0.76%,
over three months by +0.38% and
over the past year by +19.88%.
Business First Bancshares has received a consensus analysts rating of 4.80. Therefore, it is recommended to buy BFST.
- StrongBuy: 4
- Buy: 1
- Hold: 0
- Sell: 0
- StrongSell: 0
| Analysts Target Price | 32.4 | 16.4% |
P/E Forward = 9.6805
P/S = 2.8123
P/B = 0.9623
Revenue TTM = 520.2m USD
EBIT TTM = 117.1m USD
EBITDA TTM = 123.0m USD
Long Term Debt = 329.8m USD (from longTermDebt, last quarter)
Short Term Debt = 54.7m USD (from shortTermDebt, last quarter)
Debt = 384.5m USD (from shortLongTermDebtTotal, last quarter)
Net Debt = -827.0m USD (calculated: Debt 384.5m - CCE 1.21b)
Enterprise Value = 84.1m USD (911.1m + Debt 384.5m - CCE 1.21b)
Interest Coverage Ratio = 0.61 (Ebit TTM 117.1m / Interest Expense TTM 191.4m)
EV/FCF = 0.97x (Enterprise Value 84.1m / FCF TTM 86.8m)
FCF Yield = 103.3% (FCF TTM 86.8m / Enterprise Value 84.1m)
FCF Margin = 16.69% (FCF TTM 86.8m / Revenue TTM 520.2m)
Net Margin = 17.47% (Net Income TTM 90.9m / Revenue TTM 520.2m)
Gross Margin = 61.72% ((Revenue TTM 520.2m - Cost of Revenue TTM 199.1m) / Revenue TTM)
Gross Margin QoQ = 62.94% (prev 63.91%)
Tobins Q-Ratio = 0.01 (Enterprise Value 84.1m / Total Assets 8.91b)
Interest Expense / Debt = 49.79% (Interest Expense 191.4m / Debt 384.5m)
Taxrate = 20.11% (5.93m / 29.5m)
NOPAT = 93.5m (EBIT 117.1m * (1 - 20.11%))
Current Ratio = 0.17 (Total Current Assets 1.25b / Total Current Liabilities 7.52b)
Debt / Equity = 0.39 (Debt 384.5m / totalStockholderEquity, last quarter 991.2m)
Debt / EBITDA = -6.73 (Net Debt -827.0m / EBITDA 123.0m)
Debt / FCF = -9.52 (Net Debt -827.0m / FCF TTM 86.8m)
Total Stockholder Equity = 903.7m (last 4 quarters mean from totalStockholderEquity)
RoA = 1.09% (Net Income 90.9m / Total Assets 8.91b)
RoE = 10.06% (Net Income TTM 90.9m / Total Stockholder Equity 903.7m)
RoCE = 9.49% (EBIT 117.1m / Capital Employed (Equity 903.7m + L.T.Debt 329.8m))
RoIC = 6.53% (NOPAT 93.5m / Invested Capital 1.43b)
WACC = 18.49% (E(911.1m)/V(1.30b) * Re(9.51%) + D(384.5m)/V(1.30b) * Rd(49.79%) * (1-Tc(0.20)))
Discount Rate = 9.51% (= CAPM, Blume Beta Adj.)
Shares (quarterly) Correlation: 93.21 | Cagr: 12.14%
[DCF] Terminal Value 49.52% ; FCFF base≈84.1m ; Y1≈90.3m ; Y5≈109.4m
[DCF] Fair Price = 43.86 (EV 606.2m - Net Debt -827.0m = Equity 1.43b / Shares 32.7m; r=18.49% [WACC]; 5y FCF grow 8.36% → 2.50% )
EPS Correlation: 59.02 | EPS CAGR: 3.15% | SUE: 0.54 | # QB: 0
Revenue Correlation: 98.29 | Revenue CAGR: 17.07% | SUE: 0.64 | # QB: 0
EPS current Quarter (2026-06-30): EPS=0.70 | Chg30d=-3.87% | Revisions=-56% | Analysts=5
EPS next Quarter (2026-09-30): EPS=0.76 | Chg30d=-2.55% | Revisions=-43% | Analysts=5
EPS current Year (2026-12-31): EPS=2.99 | Chg30d=-0.66% | Revisions=-25% | GrowthEPS=+5.7% | GrowthRev=+15.3%
EPS next Year (2027-12-31): EPS=3.25 | Chg30d=-0.97% | Revisions=-11% | GrowthEPS=+8.8% | GrowthRev=+6.4%
[Analyst] Revisions Ratio: -56%