Business First Bancshares, Inc., Announces Financial Results for Q3 2025

Core Insights - Business First Bancshares, Inc. reported a net income of $21.5 million or $0.73 per diluted common share for Q3 2025, reflecting increases from the previous quarter [1][2] - The company declared a quarterly preferred dividend of $18.75 per share and a common dividend of $0.15 per share, marking a $0.01 increase from the linked quarter [2] Financial Performance - Core net income for Q3 2025 was $21.2 million or $0.72 per diluted common share, up $1.7 million and $0.06 from the linked quarter [1] - Net interest income totaled $69.3 million, with a net interest margin of 3.68% [15][9] - Return on average assets was 1.08% and return on common equity was 10.80% for the quarter [20] Loan and Deposit Trends - Loans held for investment decreased by $26.6 million or 0.44%, with commercial and commercial real estate portfolios declining [5] - Deposits increased by $87.2 million or 1.36%, with average interest-bearing deposits rising by $92.2 million [10][11] Credit Quality - The ratio of loans past due 30 days or more decreased from 0.89% to 0.27% [6] - Nonperforming loans ratio decreased by 15 basis points to 0.82% [6] Securities and Investments - The securities portfolio increased by $59.5 million or 6.42%, with a book yield increase from 2.77% to 2.92% [7] - Accumulated other comprehensive income increased by $11.3 million or 23.74% due to positive fair value adjustments [13] Corporate Actions and Strategic Initiatives - The successful conversion of former Oakwood Bank systems was highlighted as a key operational achievement [2] - The board approved a $0.01 increase in the quarterly common dividend, reflecting confidence in financial performance [9]