Business First (BFST) reported $79.21 million in revenue for the quarter ended March 2025, representing a year-over-year increase of 30%. EPS of $0.65 for the same period compares to $0.50 a year ago.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of +3.44% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $76.58 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.61, the EPS surprise was +6.56%.
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.
As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.
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% compared to the 3.6% average estimate based on two analysts.
- Efficiency Ratio: 63.9% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 65.9%.
- Total other income (Non-Interest Income): $13.23 million versus $11.75 million estimated by two analysts on average.
- Net Interest Income: $65.98 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $64.83 million.
View all Key Company Metrics for Business First here>>>
Shares of Business First have returned -8.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -5.1% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform 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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