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The first-quarter results for Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:BFST) were released last week, making it a good time to revisit its performance. Revenues were US$78m, approximately in line with expectations, although statutory earnings per share (EPS) performed substantially better. EPS of US$0.65 were also better than expected, beating analyst predictions by 11%. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year.
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Taking into account the latest results, the most recent consensus for Business First Bancshares from five analysts is for revenues of US$320.6m in 2025. If met, it would imply a solid 16% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Statutory earnings per share are predicted to ascend 18% to US$2.67. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of US$323.0m and earnings per share (EPS) of US$2.63 in 2025. The consensus analysts don't seem to have seen anything in these results that would have changed their view on the business, given there's been no major change to their estimates.
Check out our latest analysis for Business First Bancshares
With no major changes to earnings forecasts, the consensus price target fell 5.1% to US$29.90, suggesting that the analysts might have previously been hoping for an earnings upgrade. The consensus price target is just an average of individual analyst targets, so - it could be handy to see how wide the range of underlying estimates is. The most optimistic Business First Bancshares analyst has a price target of US$32.00 per share, while the most pessimistic values it at US$28.00. With such a narrow range of valuations, the analysts apparently share similar views on what they think the business is worth.
One way to get more context on these forecasts is to look at how they compare to both past performance, and how other companies in the same industry are performing. It's clear from the latest estimates that Business First Bancshares' rate of growth is expected to accelerate meaningfully, with the forecast 22% annualised revenue growth to the end of 2025 noticeably faster than its historical growth of 17% p.a. over the past five years. Compare this with other companies in the same industry, which are forecast to grow their revenue 7.1% annually. Factoring in the forecast acceleration in revenue, it's pretty clear that Business First Bancshares is expected to grow much faster than its industry.