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BFST 
Business First Bancshares Inc (BFST)
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Upturn Advisory Summary
12/01/2025: BFST (1-star) has a low Upturn Star Rating. Not recommended to BUY.
Upturn Star Rating
Not Recommended Performance
These Stocks/ETFs, based on Upturn Advisory, consistently fall short of market performance, signaling caution before investing.
Number of Analysts
5 Analysts rated it
Limited analyst coverage, niche firm, research info may be scarce.
1 Year Target Price $30.9
1 Year Target Price $30.9
| 4 | Strong Buy |
| 1 | Buy |
| 0 | Hold |
| 0 | Sell |
| 0 | Strong Sell |
Analysis of Past Performance
Type Stock | Historic Profit -4.51% | Avg. Invested days 34 | Today’s Advisory Consider higher Upturn Star rating |
Upturn Star Rating | Upturn Advisory Performance  3.0 | Stock Returns Performance  1.0 |
| Profits based on simulation | Last Close 12/01/2025 |
Key Highlights
Company Size Small-Cap Stock | Market Capitalization 770.59M USD | Price to earnings Ratio 10.05 | 1Y Target Price 30.9 |
Price to earnings Ratio 10.05 | 1Y Target Price 30.9 | ||
Volume (30-day avg) 5 | Beta 0.88 | 52 Weeks Range 19.72 - 28.38 | Updated Date 11/30/2025 |
52 Weeks Range 19.72 - 28.38 | Updated Date 11/30/2025 | ||
Dividends yield (FY) 2.17% | Basic EPS (TTM) 2.59 |
Earnings Date
Report Date - | When - | Estimate - | Actual - |
Profitability
Profit Margin 27% | Operating Margin (TTM) 38.63% |
Management Effectiveness
Return on Assets (TTM) 1.11% | Return on Equity (TTM) 10.39% |
Valuation
Trailing PE 10.05 | Forward PE 9.68 | Enterprise Value 843791936 | Price to Sales(TTM) 2.54 |
Enterprise Value 843791936 | Price to Sales(TTM) 2.54 | ||
Enterprise Value to Revenue 4.08 | Enterprise Value to EBITDA - | Shares Outstanding 29615370 | Shares Floating 28118017 |
Shares Outstanding 29615370 | Shares Floating 28118017 | ||
Percent Insiders 4.79 | Percent Institutions 52.54 |
Upturn AI SWOT
Business First Bancshares Inc
Company Overview
History and Background
Business First Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 2006 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It has grown through organic expansion and strategic acquisitions, focusing on providing community banking services to businesses and individuals primarily in Louisiana and Texas.
Core Business Areas
- Commercial Banking: Offers a range of lending products, including commercial real estate, construction, and equipment financing. Provides deposit accounts and cash management services.
- Retail Banking: Provides traditional retail banking services such as checking and savings accounts, personal loans, and mortgage loans.
- Wealth Management: Offers wealth management and trust services to individuals and businesses.
Leadership and Structure
Jude Melville serves as the President and CEO. The company operates with a traditional hierarchical structure typical of regional banks, with various departments reporting to executive management.
Top Products and Market Share
Key Offerings
- Commercial Loans: Provide financing to businesses for various purposes like expansion, working capital, and acquisitions. Market share data is not readily available at the individual product level. Competitors include regional and national banks such as Hancock Whitney (HWC) and Capital One (COF).
- Deposit Accounts: Offer checking, savings, and money market accounts for businesses and individuals. Market share data is fragmented and difficult to ascertain precisely at a product level. Competitors include virtually every bank in the geographic region.
- Mortgage Loans: Provides loans for new construction, existing homes and refinancing. Market share data is fragmented and difficult to ascertain precisely at a product level. Competitors include regional and national banks.
Market Dynamics
Industry Overview
The banking industry is currently navigating a landscape of rising interest rates, increased regulatory scrutiny, and growing competition from fintech companies. Economic conditions also play a significant role.
Positioning
Business First Bancshares Inc. is positioned as a community-focused regional bank. Its competitive advantages include strong local relationships and personalized service.
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
The total addressable market for banking services in Louisiana and Texas is estimated to be in the billions of dollars. Business First Bancshares Inc. is positioned to capture a portion of this market through its focus on local businesses and personalized service.
Upturn SWOT Analysis
Strengths
- Strong local relationships
- Experienced management team
- Solid capital base
- Focus on community banking
Weaknesses
- Geographic concentration in Louisiana and Texas
- Limited brand recognition outside of its core markets
- Smaller scale compared to national banks
Opportunities
- Expansion into new markets within the Southeast
- Increased demand for commercial lending
- Growth in wealth management services
- Acquisitions of smaller banks
Threats
- Rising interest rates
- Increased regulatory burden
- Competition from larger banks and fintech companies
- Economic downturns in Louisiana and Texas
Competitors and Market Share
Key Competitors
- HWC
- COF
- IBOC
Competitive Landscape
Business First Bancshares competes with larger regional and national banks. Its advantages include local expertise and personalized service, while its disadvantages include smaller scale and limited brand recognition.
Major Acquisitions
State Investors Bancorp, Inc.
- Year: 2021
- Acquisition Price (USD millions): 126.4
- Strategic Rationale: The acquisition of State Investors Bancorp expanded Business First Bancshares Inc.'s presence in the Lafayette, Louisiana market.
Growth Trajectory and Initiatives
Historical Growth: The company has experienced steady growth through organic expansion and acquisitions.
Future Projections: Analyst estimates are typically available from financial data providers.
Recent Initiatives: Focus on expanding into new markets and enhancing digital banking capabilities.
Summary
Business First Bancshares is a regional bank with a focus on community banking in Louisiana and Texas. The company has experienced steady growth through organic expansion and acquisitions. While it faces competition from larger banks, its local expertise and personalized service are key strengths. Challenges include geographic concentration and rising interest rates.
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Sources and Disclaimers
Data Sources:
- Company Website
- SEC Filings
- Financial News Outlets
- Analyst Reports
Disclaimers:
This analysis is based on publicly available information and is not financial advice. Actual financial performance may vary. Market share data is estimated and may not be precise.
AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.
Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.
Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.
AI-generated summaries may have inaccuracies (hallucinations). Please verify the information before taking action.
About Business First Bancshares Inc
Exchange NASDAQ | Headquaters Baton Rouge, LA, United States | ||
IPO Launch date 2018-04-09 | Chairman, President & CEO Mr. David R. Melville III | ||
Sector Financial Services | Industry Banks - Regional | Full time employees 849 | Website https://www.b1bank.com |
Full time employees 849 | Website https://www.b1bank.com | ||
Business First Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for b1BANK that provides various banking products and services in Louisiana and Texas. It offers various deposit products and services, including checking, demand, money market, time, and savings accounts; and certificates of deposits, remote deposit capture, and direct deposit services. The company also provides commercial and industrial loans, such as working capital, term, equipment financing, asset acquisition, expansion and development, borrowing base, and other loan products, as well as commercial lines of credit, accounts receivable factoring, agricultural financing, and letters of credit; construction and development loans; commercial real estate loans; residential real estate loans comprising first and second lien 1-4 family mortgage loans, and home equity lines of credit; and consumer loans, including secured and unsecured installment, and term loans. In addition, it offers wealth management products, including mutual funds, annuities, individual retirement accounts, and other financial products, as well as other fiduciary and private banking products and services. Further, the company provides a range of other financial services comprising debit and credit cards, treasury and cash management, merchant, automated clearing house, lock-box, receivables factoring, correspondent banking, and other treasury services, as well as employee and payroll benefits solutions; and drive-through banking facilities, automated teller machines, night depository, personalized checks, electronic funds transfer, domestic and foreign wire transfer, traveler's checks, vault, loan and deposit sweep accounts, interest-rate swaps, small business administration products, online and mobile banking, e-statements, and bank-by-mail services. Business First Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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