Gear Up for Business First (BFST) Q4 Earnings: Wall Street Estimates for Key Metrics

Core Viewpoint - Analysts forecast that Business First (BFST) will report quarterly earnings of $0.72 per share, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 9.1% and revenues of $81.5 million, which is a 5% increase compared to the previous year [1]. Earnings Estimates - Over the last 30 days, there has been no revision in the consensus EPS estimate for the quarter, indicating that analysts have not changed their initial forecasts during this period [2]. - Revisions to earnings estimates are crucial for predicting potential investor actions regarding the stock, as empirical research shows a strong correlation between earnings estimate trends and short-term stock price performance [3]. Key Metrics Projections - Analysts estimate a 'Net Interest Margin' of 3.7%, up from 3.6% reported in the same quarter last year [5]. - The expected 'Efficiency Ratio' is projected at 60.7%, a decrease from the 63.9% reported in the same quarter last year [5]. - 'Total Other Income' is expected to reach $11.48 million, slightly lower than the $11.86 million reported a year ago [5]. - 'Net Interest Income' is anticipated to be $69.13 million, compared to $65.73 million reported in the same quarter last year [6]. Stock Performance - Shares of Business First have experienced a change of -0.8% in the past month, compared to a -0.4% move of the Zacks S&P 500 composite, with a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) indicating expected performance in line with the overall market [6].