First Busey (NASDAQ:BUSE) Stock Price Breaks Below Fifty Day Moving Average Following Weak Earnings

First Busey Corporation (NASDAQ:BUSE)’s share price crossed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Wednesday following a dissappointing earnings announcement. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $29.91 and traded as low as $28.99. First Busey shares last traded at $29.24, with a volume of 1,901,820 shares changing hands.

The bank reported $0.63 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.67 by ($0.04). The business had revenue of $194.25 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $195.77 million. First Busey had a return on equity of 10.48% and a net margin of 21.00%.

First Busey Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, October 30th. Shareholders of record on Friday, October 23rd will be paid a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, October 23rd. First Busey’s payout ratio is presently 42.98%.

Key First Busey News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Deposits increased to $15.54 billion from $15.13 billion in the previous quarter, while First Busey repurchased approximately 1.97 million shares for $59.6 million—both supportive of funding stability and per-share value. Nonperforming assets remained relatively contained at $83.6 million, or 0.45% of total assets. First Busey Q3 Net Income Falls to $55.8 Million
• Neutral Sentiment: First Busey reported third-quarter net income of $55.8 million. Net interest income edged up to $153.1 million, but total noninterest income declined 8.8% from the second quarter. First Busey Corporation Announces 2026 Third Quarter Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly earnings were $0.63 per share, below the $0.67 analyst consensus, while revenue of $194.25 million also missed the $195.77 million estimate. Earnings were below the $0.64 per share reported a year earlier, increasing concerns about near-term growth. First Busey Q3 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Provision for credit losses rose sharply to $9.6 million from $2.2 million in the second quarter, while net interest margin narrowed to 3.58% from 3.72%. The company’s separate report of third-quarter net charge-offs is adding to investor focus on credit quality and potentially higher loan-loss costs. First Busey Reports Third-Quarter Net Charge-Offs

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on BUSE shares. Piper Sandler lowered First Busey from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $35.00 to $30.00 in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on First Busey from $28.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded First Busey from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 1st. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their price objective on First Busey from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of First Busey in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Busey currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $31.00.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Busey

In related news, Director Michael Cassens sold 1,441 shares of First Busey stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.12, for a total value of $41,961.92. Following the sale, the director directly owned 128,571 shares in the company, valued at $3,743,987.52. This trade represents a 1.11% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 4,323 shares of company stock valued at $130,627. 3.77% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. North Star Investment Management Corp. raised its holdings in shares of First Busey by 31.1% during the third quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 67,500 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $1,966,000 after buying an additional 16,000 shares during the last quarter. Wavvest Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Busey during the third quarter worth approximately $661,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of First Busey by 127.1% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,424 shares of the bank’s stock worth $129,000 after buying an additional 2,476 shares during the period. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of First Busey during the third quarter worth approximately $922,000. Finally, USA Financial Formulas bought a new position in First Busey in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $70,000. 56.49% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

First Busey Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $2.41 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.08 and a beta of 0.75. The business has a fifty day moving average of $29.91 and a 200-day moving average of $27.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 0.90.

About First Busey

First Busey Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. Through its banking and wealth management businesses, the company serves individuals, families, businesses and institutions with a range of financial products and services.

Its principal banking subsidiary, Busey Bank, provides consumer and commercial checking and savings accounts, loans, mortgages, treasury management and other deposit and lending services. First Busey also offers investment management, trust, retirement planning, financial planning and brokerage services through its wealth management operations.

First Busey traces its banking roots to 1868 and primarily serves customers in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Florida, with additional markets following its combination with CrossFirst Bankshares.