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 and savings, time, and money market 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 incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
5-year financial trends. Figures in USD millions.
Latest fiscal year: 2025
Year-by-year revenue, profitability, and cash flow (USD millions, last 10 years)
| Year | Revenue | EBITDA | Net Profit | FCF | ROE | Rev Growth 1Y | NP Growth 1Y |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $320M | - | $88M | $92M | 9.8% | 18.3% | 34.9% |
| 2024 | $270M | - | $65M | $60M | 8.1% | 9.3% | -8.4% |
| 2023 | $247M | - | $71M | $79M | 11.0% | 8.7% | 30.9% |
| 2022 | $228M | - | $54M | $62M | 9.3% | - | - |
Income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow as reported
Consolidated Figures in USD Millions.
| Metric | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Revenue | 227.54 | 247.42 | 270.37 | 319.81 |
| Pretax Income | 68.59 | 90.59 | 83.05 | 110.31 |
| Tax Provision | 14.34 | 19.54 | 17.94 | 22.45 |
| Net Income | 54.26 | 71.04 | 65.11 | 87.86 |
| Net Income Common Stockholders | 52.91 | 65.64 | 59.71 | 82.46 |
| Interest Expense | 36.54 | 138.20 | 187.38 | 191.85 |
| Interest Income | 236.11 | 353.33 | 414.76 | 465.01 |
| Selling General And Administration | 91.80 | 98.35 | 111.91 | 123.66 |
| Normalized Income | 58.06 | 69.34 | 66.08 | 86.43 |
| Basic EPS | 2.34 | 2.62 | 2.27 | 2.81 |
| Diluted EPS | 2.32 | 2.59 | 2.26 | 2.79 |
| Tax Effect Of Unusual Items | -1 | 0.47 | -0.27 | 0.37 |
| Tax Rate For Calcs | 0.21 | 0.22 | 0.22 | 0.20 |
| Total Unusual Items | -4.81 | 2.17 | -1.24 | 1.80 |
| Total Unusual Items Excluding Goodwill | -4.81 | 2.17 | -1.24 | 1.80 |
| Net Income From Continuing Operation Net Minority Interest | 54.26 | 71.04 | 65.11 | 87.86 |
| Reconciled Depreciation | 4.82 | 4.67 | 5.26 | 5.68 |
| Net Interest Income | 199.58 | 215.13 | 227.38 | 273.16 |
| Net Income From Continuing And Discontinued Operation | 54.26 | 71.04 | 65.11 | 87.86 |
| Diluted Average Shares | 22.82 | 25.30 | 26.45 | 29.55 |
| Basic Average Shares | 22.63 | 25.08 | 26.25 | 29.40 |
| Diluted NI Availto Com Stockholders | 52.91 | 65.64 | 59.71 | 82.46 |
| Preferred Stock Dividends | 1.35 | 5.40 | 5.40 | 5.40 |
| Net Income Including Noncontrolling Interests | 54.26 | 71.04 | 65.11 | 87.86 |
| Net Income Continuous Operations | 54.26 | 71.04 | 65.11 | 87.86 |
| Special Income Charges | -4.81 | 2.17 | -1.24 | 1.80 |
| Gain On Sale Of Business | 0 | 0.94 | 0 | 3.36 |
| Restructuring And Mergern Acquisition | 4.81 | 0.24 | 1.24 | 2.19 |
| Gain On Sale Of Security | -0.05 | -2.56 | 0.01 | 0.06 |
| Selling And Marketing Expense | 3.95 | 4.63 | 4.88 | 5.18 |
| General And Administrative Expense | 87.85 | 93.72 | 107.03 | 118.48 |
| Other Gand A | 8.36 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Insurance And Claims | 1.66 | 2.03 | 2.02 | 1.67 |
| Salaries And Wages | 86.19 | 91.69 | 105 | 116.81 |
| Operating Revenue | 227.54 | 247.42 | 270.37 | 319.81 |
| Occupancy And Equipment | 19.37 | 20.86 | 23.99 | 28.61 |
| Professional Expense And Contract Services Expense | 2.36 | 3.17 | 3.76 | 4.57 |
| Other Non Interest Expense | 31.08 | 34.09 | 36.77 | 44.05 |
Financial Services sector peers, ranked by market cap
| Company | Ticker | Market Cap | P/E | P/B | ROE | EV/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business First Bancshares, Inc.this co. | BFST | $879M | 9.55β discount | 0.96 | 9.8% | - |
| Horizon Bancorp, Inc. | HBNC | $914M | - | 1.31 | -21.9% | - |
| Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. | ESQ | $910M | 17.75 | 2.87 | 17.5% | - |
| Abacus Global Management, Inc. | ABX | $902M | 26.06 | 2.18 | 8.7% | 11.09 |
| CNB Financial Corporation |
| CCNE |
| $899M |
| 10.57 |
| 1.09 |
| 7.6% |
| - |
| Mercantile Bank Corporation | MBWM | $876M | 9.08 | 1.19 | 12.2% | - |
| NB Bancorp, Inc. | NBBK | $876M | 14.28 | 0.95 | 5.9% | - |
| TrustCo Bank Corp NY | TRST | $865M | 13.37 | 1.19 | 8.9% | - |
| Five Star Bancorp | FSBC | $865M | 12.84 | 1.94 | 13.8% | - |
| Peer Median | - | 13.37 | 1.25 | 8.8% | 11.09 | |