29,621 Shares in Business First Bancshares, Inc. $BFST Bought by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Posted by George Bondi on Aug 1st, 2026

Principal Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST – Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 29,621 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $801,000. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned approximately 0.09% of Business First Bancshares as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Business First Bancshares by 15,600.0% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,099 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 1,092 shares in the last quarter. FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Business First Bancshares in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in shares of Business First Bancshares by 389.7% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 2,669 shares of the company’s stock valued at $66,000 after buying an additional 2,124 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Business First Bancshares by 36.5% during the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,446 shares of the company’s stock worth $116,000 after acquiring an additional 1,188 shares during the period. Finally, Virtus Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Business First Bancshares during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $123,000. Institutional investors own 47.35% of the company’s stock.

Business First Bancshares Stock Down 0.4%

BFST stock opened at $31.82 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.28 and a beta of 0.78. 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 12 month low of $22.56 and a 12 month high of $32.39. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $29.81 and a 200-day moving average price of $28.43.

Business First Bancshares (NASDAQ:BFST – Get Free Report) last announced 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 company had revenue of $91.81 million for 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%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Business First Bancshares, Inc. will post 3.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Business First Bancshares Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Saturday, August 15th will be given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, August 14th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Business First Bancshares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.28%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Get Our Latest Report on BFST

Insider Activity at Business First Bancshares

In related news, COO Keith Mansfield sold 4,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.08, for a total transaction of $134,736.00. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 77,139 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,474,619.12. This trade represents a 5.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director George W. Cummings III sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $32.08, for a total value of $320,800.00. Following the sale, the director owned 231,180 shares in the company, valued at $7,416,254.40. This represents a 4.15% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 72,795 shares of company stock worth $2,185,668. Corporate insiders own 5.67% of the company’s stock.

Business First Bancshares News Roundup

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

(Free Report)

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.