First Busey (NASDAQ:BUSE) Issues Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.07 EPS

First Busey (NASDAQ:BUSE) announced its earnings results on Tuesday. The bank reported $0.68 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.61 by $0.07, FiscalAI reports. First Busey had a net margin of 12.96% and a return on equity of 9.59%. The firm had revenue of $201.78 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $197.70 million.

First Busey Stock Down 2.6%

Shares of BUSE stock opened at $24.39 on Thursday. First Busey has a 52-week low of $18.40 and a 52-week high of $26.08. The stock has a market cap of $2.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.21 and a beta of 0.79. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $24.31 and its 200-day moving average is $23.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 0.91.

First Busey Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 23rd will be given a $0.26 dividend. This is a boost from First Busey’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, January 23rd. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.3%. First Busey’s payout ratio is 90.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other First Busey news, CAO Scott A. Phillips purchased 1,350 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 31st. The shares were acquired at an average price of $25.64 per share, for a total transaction of $34,614.00. Following the purchase, the chief accounting officer owned 2,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $60,254. The trade was a 135.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, President Mike Maddox acquired 1,000 shares of First Busey stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $25.52 per share, with a total value of $25,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the president owned 40,280 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,027,945.60. This trade represents a 2.55% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 2,250 shares of company stock worth $54,398. Company insiders own 3.85% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of First Busey

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wellington Management Group LLP raised its holdings in First Busey by 94.4% in the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 7,135,906 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $165,196,000 after acquiring an additional 3,464,965 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in shares of First Busey by 1,659.8% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 172,810 shares of the bank’s stock worth $3,733,000 after purchasing an additional 162,990 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC increased its stake in shares of First Busey by 78.4% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 222,048 shares of the bank’s stock worth $4,796,000 after purchasing an additional 97,560 shares during the period. Verition Fund Management LLC lifted its holdings in First Busey by 27.3% during the 3rd quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC now owns 355,523 shares of the bank’s stock worth $8,230,000 after purchasing an additional 76,218 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in First Busey by 246.6% in the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 90,776 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $2,101,000 after purchasing an additional 64,586 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 56.49% of the company’s stock.

More First Busey News

Here are the key news stories impacting First Busey this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — adjusted EPS of $0.68 (vs. consensus ~$0.61) and revenue modestly above estimates; adjusted profitability metrics (adj. ROATCE, NIM) improved and wealth-management fee income hit a record. Zacks: BUSE Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Capital return and shareholder-friendly actions: nearly $30M of buybacks in Q4 ( ~$69.9M for 2025) and a raised quarterly common dividend ($0.26 planned), supporting total shareholder return potential. GlobeNewswire: First Busey Announces Q4 2025 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data for January appears inconsistent (shows “0” shares), so there is no clear short-seller pressure signal from the available reporting. (Data likely unreliable; treat as non‑signal.)
• Negative Sentiment: Leadership shock: Michael J. Maddox separated from the company effective immediately and management roles were reshuffled (Van Dukeman assuming additional posts; Tony Hammond named Busey Bank President) — sudden executive change can drive near-term uncertainty and discounting by investors. BizJournals: Maddox exits as CEO of Busey Bank
• Negative Sentiment: Higher expenses and one-time hits tied to the CrossFirst acquisition — noninterest expense rose sharply year-over-year (acquisition and integration costs) and the quarter included a $3.8M operating loss tied to one customer relationship; these items compress near-term earnings quality despite adjusted metrics. QuiverQuant: Q4 2025 Earnings and Integration Details
• Negative Sentiment: Strategic deposit runoff reduced total deposits (intentional $180M reduction of high‑cost brokered and corporate deposits), which helped cut funding costs but may raise short-term funding and margin questions for some investors. GlobeNewswire: Deposit runoff and funding commentary

Analyst Ratings Changes

BUSE has been the subject of several recent research reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of First Busey in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on First Busey from $30.00 to $26.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Raymond James Financial reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $26.00 price target (down from $28.00) on shares of First Busey in a research note on Thursday, October 30th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $26.33.

About First Busey

First Busey (NASDAQ: BUSE) is a bank holding company headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, with roots tracing back to the founding of Busey Bank in 1868. As a regional financial institution, it offers a broad spectrum of banking services to individuals, small businesses, and corporations. Its core activities include commercial lending, deposit-taking, and cash management, which are tailored to meet the needs of local communities across its operating footprint.

In addition to traditional banking operations, First Busey provides wealth management and trust services through its subsidiary aimed at high-net-worth clients and fiduciary accounts.