For the quarter ended December 2025, Business First (BFST) reported revenue of $83.09 million, up 7.1% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.79, compared to $0.66 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $81.5 million, representing a surprise of +1.95%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +9.72%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.72.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
Here is how Business First performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
- Net Interest Margin: 3.7% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 3.7%.
- Efficiency Ratio: 63.1% compared to the 60.7% average estimate based on two analysts.
- Total Other Income: $12.23 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $11.48 million.
- Net Interest Income: $70.86 million versus $69.13 million estimated by two analysts on average.
View all Key Company Metrics for Business First here>>>
Shares of Business First have returned +5.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.
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Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).
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