Hsbc Holdings PLC Takes $1.64 Million Position in Business First Bancshares, Inc. $BFST

Hsbc Holdings PLC acquired a new position in shares of Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 60,396 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,636,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of BFST. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Business First Bancshares by 115.4% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 38,485 shares of the company’s stock worth $937,000 after purchasing an additional 20,620 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its stake in Business First Bancshares by 4.5% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 14,343 shares of the company’s stock valued at $349,000 after buying an additional 624 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in Business First Bancshares by 1,532.5% in the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 159,481 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,883,000 after buying an additional 149,712 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its position in shares of Business First Bancshares by 8.4% in the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 85,408 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,080,000 after buying an additional 6,596 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Business First Bancshares in the first quarter valued at approximately $1,150,000. 47.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Business First Bancshares News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Business First Bancshares this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Business First reported Q2 EPS of $0.71, slightly ahead of Wall Street’s $0.70 estimate, while revenue of $91.0 million came in roughly in line; investors also saw solid profitability metrics, including a 17.02% net margin and 11.10% return on equity. Business First Bancshares earnings report
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens raised its price target on BFST from $34 to $36 and reiterated an overweight rating, signaling confidence in additional upside. Stephens price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: Hovde Group also lifted its target from $32.50 to $36 and maintained an outperform rating, reinforcing the bullish post-earnings tone. Hovde Group price target raise
• Positive Sentiment: The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.15 per share, which supports the stock’s income appeal for shareholders. Business First Bancshares Q2 2026 results and dividend announcement
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector commentary has also been constructive, with regional banks broadly reporting solid loan and deposit growth and improved credit quality, which adds a favorable backdrop for BFST. Zacks BFST Q2 metrics analysis

Insider Activity at Business First Bancshares

In related news, Director George W. Cummings III sold 15,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.54, for a total transaction of $428,100.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 281,180 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,024,877.20. This trade represents a 5.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders have sold 36,595 shares of company stock valued at $1,031,732 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 5.67% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on BFST shares. DA Davidson reissued a “buy” rating and set a $33.00 target price on shares of Business First Bancshares in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. Stephens raised their price target on Business First Bancshares from $34.00 to $36.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Business First Bancshares in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Hovde Group upped their price objective on shares of Business First Bancshares from $32.50 to $36.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Five analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $34.00.

Business First Bancshares Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ BFST opened at $31.16 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $1.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.05 and a beta of 0.78. The business’s 50 day moving average is $29.39 and its 200-day moving average is $28.25. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Business First Bancshares, Inc. has a 1-year low of $22.56 and a 1-year high of $31.57.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.70 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $91.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $91.31 million. Business First Bancshares had a return on equity of 11.31% and a net margin of 17.07%. Equities research analysts predict that Business First Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Business First Bancshares Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Saturday, August 15th will be paid a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $0.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Business First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio is 21.28%.

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.