BFST NASDAQ Week ended 24 Jul 2026

Weekly Investor Report

Business First Bancshares Inc · Financial Services · Banks - Regional

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Latest close 31.16 USD
0.9% latest week
Weekly setup

Constructive, but selective

The weekly trend is active. Price is 10.9% above the Trend Line and sits at 95.7% of its 52-week range. The latest completed week returned 0.9%, after a 1.1% four-week move. The latest factor snapshot indicates quality is middle-of-the-pack; growth is moderate; valuation is inexpensive relative to peers. Options positioning is mixed with 33/100 conviction, while the latest news-sentiment score is 57/100. Near-term considerations: price is close to its 52-week high; earnings are due in 84d.

Setup score 68 out of 100
Latest Close 31.16 USD 24 Jul 2026
1W Return 0.9% latest completed week
4W Return 1.1% short-term follow-through
12W Return 13.9% quarterly tape
Trend Breadth 84.6% 44 of 52 weeks active
Volume Ratio 1.1x vs 13-week average
What is working
  • The trend backdrop is active with a 39-week active streak.
  • Price is above the Trend Line, keeping the weekly tape constructive.
  • Price is above Fair Value, showing premium demand versus the model.
  • Activity pressure is positive on the latest completed week.
What could go wrong
  • 2 reversal markers appear in the recent smart-money tape.
What to watch next
  • Price is close to its 52-week high; watch for continuation or exhaustion.
  • Trend Line remains the key weekly regime level.
  • Activity pressure is the gauge to monitor for confirmation or fade.
  • A volume ratio above 1.5x would show stronger participation in the next move.
Price follow-through 0.9% Latest completed week; four-week move 1.1%. Indicator stack 92/71 Trend and activity pressure are weighted against the latest 12-week confirmation window. Trend backdrop Active The trend backdrop defines the current weekly regime. Patient Capital Quiet Activity-pressure buy-signal status for institutional accumulation timing. Options pressure Mixed 33/100 conviction; expected move 13.5%. News sentiment 57/100 57 relevant articles in the latest sentiment read. Event risk 84d Next report is scheduled for 22 Oct 2026; event risk rises as the date approaches.
01 · Price action

Where price is—and whether the trend supports it

The weekly trend is active. Price is 10.9% above the Trend Line and sits at 95.7% of its 52-week range. The latest completed week returned 0.9%, after a 1.1% four-week move.

Study the full chart

52-week price path

Price vs Trend Line and Fair Value
Price Trend Line Fair Value
02 · Volume and demand

Is real participation confirming the move?

Latest weekly volume is 1.1x the 13-week average. Participation is around or above normal and provides reasonable confirmation.

26-week volume confirmation

Bar height shows volume; colour shows the weekly price direction
30 Jan 6 Feb 13 Feb 20 Feb 27 Feb 6 Mar 13 Mar 20 Mar 27 Mar 3 Apr 10 Apr 17 Apr 24 Apr 1 May 8 May 15 May 22 May 29 May 5 Jun 12 Jun 19 Jun 26 Jun 3 Jul 10 Jul 17 Jul 24 Jul
Up week Down week
Demand beneath price

Activity pressure and institutional-style signals

These indicators assess whether participation is improving beneath the headline price move. They are supporting evidence, not proof of institutional buying.

Activity pressure path

Latest 0.8812-week average 0.64

12-week confirmation

Trend active12/12Active trend-backdrop weeks in the latest 12-week window.
Positive pressure7/12Weeks with constructive activity pressure in the latest 12-week window.
Positive leadership4/12Weeks with positive relative leadership in the latest 12-week window.
Activity pressure0.88Current proprietary activity-pressure read.
Buy signals0Accumulation signal count in the latest 12 weeks.
Reversal markers22 reversal markers

No recent accumulation markers. 2 reversal markers.

03 · Momentum and leadership

Is performance persistent—and is the stock leading?

Performance is 1.1% over four weeks, 13.9% over 12 weeks, and 25.5% over one year. The current trend has remained active for 39 consecutive weeks.

Performance by holding period

1W0.9%
4W1.1%
12W13.9%
26W15.5%
52W25.5%
Active trend streak39 weeks
Active weeks in one year44
Trend breadth84.6%

Activity pressure vs relative leadership

Activity pressureRelative leadership
Pressure1.12Latest activity-pressure read.
Pressure change6.8%Four-week change in activity pressure.
Leadership7.66Latest relative-leadership reading.
RS change178.3%Four-week change in relative leadership.
04 · Fundamentals and valuation

What investors are paying for—and the quality behind it

The latest factor snapshot indicates quality is middle-of-the-pack; growth is moderate; valuation is inexpensive relative to peers.

Open full factor analysis
Factor week 26 Jul 2026 Financial statements through 31 Dec 2025 Field coverage 100% Model confidence 100%

Relative factor standing

Higher display scores are better. Each score is converted from the underlying universe rank, where rank 1 is best.

Overall factor strength92/100Blend of value, momentum, and quality. Underlying universe rank 9; rank 1 is best.
Value82/100Relative valuation strength. Underlying universe rank 19; rank 1 is best.
Quality74/100Profitability and accounting quality. Underlying universe rank 27; rank 1 is best.
Momentum73/100Medium-term price momentum. Underlying universe rank 28; rank 1 is best.
Growth35/100Revenue and earnings growth. Underlying universe rank 66; rank 1 is best.
How to read this

Quality and valuation are separate questions

A strong company can still carry a demanding valuation. This report shows profitability, growth, balance-sheet strength, and the price paid for those characteristics separately.

Value-quality framework55/100Value and quality alignment from the Sharemaestro SVQF framework.

Valuation

How much investors are paying for earnings, sales, and cash flow.

P/E
11.0x
Price divided by trailing earnings.
Price / sales
2.2x
Market value relative to trailing revenue.
EV / EBITDA
14.4x
Enterprise value relative to operating cash earnings.
Free-cash-flow yield
10.2%
Free cash flow as a share of enterprise value.

Business quality

Margins and the return generated on invested capital.

Gross margin
56.4%
Gross profit retained from each unit of revenue.
Operating margin
13.1%
Operating profit retained from revenue.
Free-cash-flow margin
20.2%
Free cash flow generated from revenue.
Return on invested capital
5.8%
Operating return generated on invested capital.

Growth and financial strength

Recent business growth and accounting strength.

Revenue growth
-7.6%
Latest one-year revenue growth.
EPS growth
20.8%
Latest one-year earnings-per-share growth.
Free-cash-flow growth
-
Latest one-year free-cash-flow growth.
Piotroski F-score
8/9
Nine-point accounting-strength checklist.

Shareholder return and balance sheet

Cash returned to owners and financial leverage.

Dividend yield
1.9%
Cash dividends relative to market value.
Buyback yield
0.4%
Net share repurchases relative to market value.
Shareholder yield
2.3%
Dividend yield plus net buyback yield.
Net debt / EBITDA
-3.1x
Balance-sheet debt relative to operating cash earnings.
05 · Ownership, options, and sentiment

What other market participants are doing

Options, insider transactions, market sentiment, and activity-pressure signals can confirm or challenge the price story. None should be used alone.

Options positioningMixed

BFST shows mixed options pressure with a 33/100 conviction score, put-call volume ratio of n/a, expected move of 13.5%, and Sharemaestro trend signal active.

Conviction33/100
Expected move13.5%
Put/call volume
Pressure7
Speculation0
Volatility78
Trend agreement87
Open options detail
Insider activity10 / 10

10 acquisitions and 10 disposals in the latest 180-day insider tape.

Acquisitions / disposals over the latest 180 days. Insider activity is context, not a stand-alone signal.
News sentiment57/100

Weighted news tone is neutral across 57 relevant articles.

22 positive · 34 neutral · 1 negative
Patient CapitalQuiet

Activity-pressure buy-signal evidence highlights potential institutional accumulation windows.

No recent buy signal
06 · Catalysts and risk

What can move the shares—and how volatile the path has been

Event timing, options-implied movement, drawdown, and weekly return distribution frame the risk around the current setup.

Next earnings84dNext report is scheduled for 22 Oct 2026; event risk rises as the date approaches.
Options expected move13.5%Nearest-chain priced movement where available.
52-week drawdown-1.3%Distance below the 52-week high.
13-week volatility2.7%Standard deviation of weekly returns.

Weekly gains and losses

Latest 26 completed weeks

Each bar is one week. Gains rise above the zero line; losses fall below it. Taller bars mean a larger weekly move.

Weeks higher13 of 2613 weeks finished lower.
Best week+7.1%Week of 26 Jun.
Worst week-5.5%Week of 27 Feb.
Latest week+0.9%Week of 24 Jul.

Shape of recent returns

Strong gains2
Modest gains11
Flat weeks0
Modest losses12
Sharp losses1
Recent vol2.7%13-week weekly-return volatility.
Base vol3.3%52-week weekly-return volatility.
Up/down split27/23Count of positive and negative weeks in the 52-week window.
Average skew3.0% / -2.4%Average positive week versus average negative week.
07 · Sector and peer context

Is this stock leading—or simply moving with its group?

Sector and industry breadth distinguish company-specific strength from a broad group move.

08 · Evidence and weekly data

The underlying research record

Every top-level statement above should be traceable to a stored market, fundamental, event, or positioning observation.

Weekly tape70/100

Trend, activity pressure, participation, and risk combine to a 70/100 tape read.

 Indicator analysis64/100

Latest 12-week confirmation: trend 12/12, activity pressure 7/12, relative leadership 4/12.

Activity pressure 0.88; 2 reversal markers Factors80/100

O'Shaughnessy factor stack blends value, quality, momentum, and confidence.

Buyback Yield rank 37; Small Cap Core rank 30 SVQF55/100

Value and quality alignment from the Sharemaestro SVQF framework.

Composite rank 324.5 of 726 Patient CapitalQuiet

Activity-pressure buy-signal evidence highlights potential institutional accumulation windows.

No recent buy signal Options56/100

BFST shows mixed options pressure with a 33/100 conviction score, put-call volume ratio of n/a, expected move of 13.5%, and Sharemaestro trend signal active.

Mixed · Options-market disagreement · Expected move 13.5% Sentiment57/100

Weighted news tone is neutral across 57 relevant articles.

BlackRock (BFST shareholder) reports 8.0% ownership in Business First Bancshares common stock Insiders10 / 10

10 acquisitions and 10 disposals in the latest 180-day insider tape.

 Earnings84d

Next report is scheduled for 22 Oct 2026; event risk rises as the date approaches.
WeekCloseReturnTrend LineFair ValuePressureLeadershipVolumeTrend
24 Jul 202631.16 USD0.9%28.11 USD23.70 USD1.127.661.2MOn
17 Jul 202630.89 USD2.4%27.95 USD23.62 USD1.255.09978.3KOn
10 Jul 202630.17 USD-1.5%27.83 USD23.52 USD1.27-1.701.1MOn
3 Jul 202630.64 USD-0.6%27.74 USD23.42 USD1.281.461.0MOn
26 Jun 202630.81 USD7.1%27.60 USD23.31 USD1.052.752.3MOn
19 Jun 202628.77 USD-1.6%27.43 USD23.20 USD0.63-8.391.5MOn
12 Jun 202629.24 USD2.8%27.32 USD23.11 USD0.28-4.601.1MOn
5 Jun 202628.45 USD-0.1%27.18 USD23.03 USD-0.18-5.16884.8KOn
29 May 202628.48 USD2.3%27.04 USD22.94 USD-0.41-9.48830.9KOn
22 May 202627.84 USD3.7%26.89 USD22.85 USD-0.48-9.21926.6KOn
15 May 202626.84 USD-2.5%26.78 USD22.76 USD-0.46-11.68916.1KOn
8 May 202627.53 USD0.7%26.64 USD22.68 USD-0.23-10.04722.8KOn
1 May 202627.35 USD-2.7%26.47 USD22.58 USD0.02-6.101.1MOn
24 Apr 202628.10 USD-2.6%26.32 USD22.49 USD-0.05-2.31710.9KOn
How to use this report

This is a completed-week research summary. It explains the available evidence and its conflicts; it does not predict a guaranteed outcome or replace your own risk assessment. Fundamental figures may refer to an earlier financial reporting period, which is shown above.