Business First Bancshares, Inc. Announces Quarterly Dividend of $0.14

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) declared a quarterly dividend on Thursday, October 24th. Shareholders who are on record by Friday, November 15th, will receive a dividend payment of $0.14 per share on Saturday, November 30th. This amounts to an annualized dividend of $0.56, equating to a yield of 2.16%. Notably, the ex-dividend date is also set for Friday, November 15th.

Over the past three years, Business First Bancshares has increased its dividend at an average annual rate of 7.7%. The company maintains a payout ratio of 21.5%, indicating its dividend payments are well-supported by earnings. Analysts project that the company will earn $2.60 per share in the coming year, signifying that the anticipated future payout ratio will remain around the same level of 21.5% for the $0.56 annual dividend.

Stock Performance

In Friday's midday trading, shares of NASDAQ:BFST rose by $0.93, reaching $25.97. The trading volume recorded was 75,196 shares, surpassing the average volume of 61,248 shares. The company's 50-day moving average is $24.84, while its 200-day moving average stands at $22.73. Currently, Business First Bancshares has a market capitalization of $662.29 million, with a price-to-earnings (PE) ratio of 10.22 and a beta of 0.97. The firm has recorded a one-year low of $18.43 and a one-year high of $26.93.

Business First Bancshares recently released its quarterly earnings on October 24th, reporting earnings per share of $0.68, which exceeded the analysts' expectations of $0.57 by $0.11. The revenue for this quarter was $113.52 million, compared to the consensus estimate of $65.24 million. The company's return on equity stands at 12.19%, with a net margin of 15.90%. In the same quarter the previous year, the earnings per share stood at $0.71. Analysts forecast the company will achieve an EPS of $2.14 for the current fiscal year.

Insider Sales

In other company news, insider Warren Mcdonald sold 1,532 shares of stock on August 1st at an average price of $25.71, totaling a sale value of $39,387.72. After this transaction, he holds 20,595 shares valued at approximately $529,497.45, reflecting no change in ownership percentage. In a related transaction, EVP Saundra Strong sold 6,300 shares on July 30th at an average price of $25.32, amounting to a sale of $159,516. Following the sale, she retains 11,275 shares with an approximate value of $285,483. In total, insiders sold 14,906 shares valued at $377,392 over the last quarter, with insider ownership at 6.45%.

Market Insights

Separately, the Hovde Group raised its price target for Business First Bancshares from $29.00 to $30.00, assigning an "outperform" rating in a report dated July 26th. Currently, one research analyst has issued a hold rating for the stock, while four analysts have recommended a buy. MarketBeat reports the consensus rating stands at "Moderate Buy" with a price target average of $26.67.

Company Overview

Business First Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding entity for b1BANK, providing a variety of banking products and services in Louisiana and Texas. The offerings include checking accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, remote deposit capture, and direct deposit services.

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