For the quarter ended June 2023, Business First (BFST) reported revenue of $65.28 million, up 15.4% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.70, compared to $0.64 in the year-ago quarter.
The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $60.34 million, representing a surprise of +8.20%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +34.62%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.52.
While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.
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:
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Net Interest Margin: 3.63% versus 3.57% estimated by three analysts on average.
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Efficiency Ratio: 60.76% compared to the 64.44% average estimate based on three analysts.
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Total Nonperforming Loans: $17.47 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $17.37 million.
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Total interest-earning assets - Average: $5.90 billion compared to the $5.89 billion average estimate based on two analysts.
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Total Nonperforming Assets: $19.09 million compared to the $21.02 million average estimate based on two analysts.
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Ratio of net charge-offs to average loans: 0.01% versus 0.16% estimated by two analysts on average.
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Total other income: $11.96 million versus $8.21 million estimated by three analysts on average.
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Net Interest Income: $53.33 million compared to the $52.12 million average estimate based on three analysts.
View all Key Company Metrics for Business First here>>>
Shares of Business First have returned +9.9% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.
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Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST) : Free Stock Analysis Report