Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC) Sees Strong Trading Volume – Here’s What Happened

Bank First National Corporation (NASDAQ:BFC) shares saw unusually-high trading volume on Monday . Approximately 54,080 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 26% from the previous session’s volume of 72,786 shares.The stock last traded at $140.88 and had previously closed at $142.97.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have commented on BFC. Wall Street Zen cut Bank First National from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 14th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Bank First National in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Scotiabank upgraded shares of Bank First National to a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Monday, January 26th. Zacks Research raised shares of Bank First National from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of Bank First National from $142.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, January 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and one has assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Bank First National currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $150.00.

Bank First National Trading Up 1.8%

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $135.00 and its 200 day moving average price is $129.58. The company has a market cap of $1.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.63 and a beta of 0.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 0.99 and a current ratio of 0.99.

Bank First National (NASDAQ:BFC) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The company reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.25. The business had revenue of $49.68 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $43.75 million. Bank First National had a net margin of 29.31% and a return on equity of 11.68%. As a group, analysts expect that Bank First National Corporation will post 6.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Bank First National Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 25th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 25th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. This is an increase from Bank First National’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Bank First National’s dividend payout ratio is presently 24.90%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Steven M. Eldred sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.95, for a total value of $1,215,600.00. Following the sale, the director owned 125,680 shares in the company, valued at approximately $19,097,076. This represents a 5.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 4.10% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bank First National

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of Bank First National by 17.0% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 669 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey lifted its position in Bank First National by 6.5% during the second quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 2,098 shares of the company’s stock worth $247,000 after acquiring an additional 128 shares during the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in shares of Bank First National by 95.5% during the fourth quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 305 shares of the company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the period. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of Bank First National by 22.5% in the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 816 shares of the company’s stock valued at $96,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ellsworth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Bank First National by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC now owns 7,199 shares of the company’s stock worth $934,000 after purchasing an additional 174 shares during the period. 29.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Bank First National

Bank First National Corporation (NASDAQ: BFC) is the bank holding company for Bank First National, a community bank headquartered in Princeton, Wisconsin. The company offers a comprehensive suite of financial services designed to meet the needs of individuals, families, small businesses and agricultural clients. Through its branch network and digital channels, Bank First National provides deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, mortgage financing and treasury management solutions.

The bank’s core deposit products include checking and savings accounts, money market funds and certificates of deposit, complemented by online and mobile banking platforms that enable customers to manage their finances remotely.