Insider Selling: Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) COO Sells $134,736.00 in Stock

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) COO Keith Mansfield sold 4,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.08, for a total value of $134,736.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 77,139 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,474,619.12. The trade was a 5.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link.

Business First Bancshares Stock Performance

Business First Bancshares stock opened at $31.82 on Monday. Business First Bancshares, Inc. has a 52 week low of $22.56 and a 52 week high of $32.39. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock has a market cap of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.28 and a beta of 0.78. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $29.81 and a 200-day moving average of $28.45.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. On average, analysts expect that Business First Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Business First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed 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. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, August 14th. Business First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on BFST. DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Business First Bancshares from $33.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 24th. Hovde Group lifted their price target 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. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Stephens boosted their price objective on Business First Bancshares from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.50.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Business First Bancshares

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Summit Financial Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Business First Bancshares in the 1st quarter worth about $1,608,000. MQS Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Business First Bancshares in the 1st quarter valued at about $579,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new position in shares of Business First Bancshares in the 1st quarter valued at about $1,636,000. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Business First Bancshares during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,282,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in shares of Business First Bancshares by 255.8% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 441,853 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,948,000 after buying an additional 317,650 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 47.35% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Business First Bancshares

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

Business First Bancshares Company Profile

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.