Analysts Set First Busey Corporation (NASDAQ:BUSE) Target Price at $32.00

Posted by George Bondi on Aug 20th, 2026

First Busey Corporation (NASDAQ:BUSE – Get Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seven brokerages that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $32.00.

BUSE has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of First Busey in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Zacks Research raised First Busey from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Stephens boosted their price objective on First Busey from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped 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, Wall Street Zen upgraded First Busey from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 1st.

Read Our Latest Analysis on BUSE

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Michael David Cassens sold 1,441 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.08, for a total value of $44,786.28. Following the transaction, the director owned 131,453 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,085,559.24. This trade represents a 1.08% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 3.77% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Busey

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in shares of First Busey by 36,664.6% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 3,131,973 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $74,510,000 after purchasing an additional 3,123,454 shares during the period. Quantinno Capital Management LP grew its stake in First Busey by 45.5% in the first quarter. Quantinno Capital Management LP now owns 142,447 shares of the bank’s stock worth $3,600,000 after purchasing an additional 44,551 shares in the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in First Busey during the 1st quarter worth $1,743,000. Sunesis Advisors LLC purchased a new position in First Busey during the 4th quarter worth $3,732,000. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC raised its position in First Busey by 16.0% during the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 475,547 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $12,017,000 after purchasing an additional 65,745 shares in the last quarter. 56.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

First Busey Price Performance

BUSE stock opened at $30.24 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $2.50 billion, a PE ratio of 12.50 and a beta of 0.72. First Busey has a 12 month low of $22.00 and a 12 month high of $31.70. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $29.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $27.45. The company has a current ratio of 0.90, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11.

First Busey (NASDAQ:BUSE – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The bank reported $0.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.63 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $194.27 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $197.59 million. First Busey had a net margin of 21.00% and a return on equity of 10.48%. Equities research analysts anticipate that First Busey will post 2.67 earnings per share for the current year.

First Busey Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, July 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 24th were issued a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 24th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.4%. First Busey’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.98%.

About First Busey

(Get Free Report)

First Busey (NASDAQ: BUSE) is a bank holding company headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, with roots tracing back to the founding of Busey Bank in 1868. As a regional financial institution, it offers a broad spectrum of banking services to individuals, small businesses, and corporations. Its core activities include commercial lending, deposit-taking, and cash management, which are tailored to meet the needs of local communities across its operating footprint.

In addition to traditional banking operations, First Busey provides wealth management and trust services through its subsidiary aimed at high-net-worth clients and fiduciary accounts.