Business First Bancshares Q2 2026: Net Income Climbs to $22.8M, NIM Expands to 3.73%
BFST sits 41% above its 52-week low of $22.56.
Summary
Business First Bancshares posted Q2 2026 net income of $22.8 million ($0.70/share) as net interest margin expanded to 3.73%. The quarter reflects the Progressive acquisition and includes a rise in nonperforming assets.
Key Events · Earnings and Guidance · BFST
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Q2 Net Income of $22.8M
Net income available to common shareholders reached $22.8 million, or $0.70 per diluted share, compared with $20.8 million, or $0.70 per share, in Q2 2025.
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Net Interest Margin Expands
Driven by a 34 basis point decline in the overall cost of funds, net interest margin expanded to 3.73% from 3.68% a year ago.
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Nonperforming Assets Rise
Nonperforming assets increased to $109.2 million (1.23% of total assets) from $89.7 million at year-end 2025, primarily due to two commercial lending relationships.
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Progressive Acquisition Integrated
The January 1, 2026 acquisition of Progressive Bancorp contributed to a 15% year-over-year increase in net interest income and added $773.8 million in assets.
Analysis · BFST · Finance
Business First Bancshares delivered Q2 2026 net income of $22.8 million, or $0.70 per share, as net interest margin widened to 3.73% from 3.68% a year ago. The quarter fully incorporates the Progressive acquisition, which closed on January 1, 2026, and helped drive a 15% year-over-year increase in net interest income. On the credit front, nonperforming assets rose to $109.2 million, driven by two commercial lending relationships, and the allowance for credit losses moved up to 1.02% of loans. The company also completed the acquisition of American Planning Corporation for $6.8 million and repurchased $4.8 million of its own stock. While the results align with the preliminary earnings release on July 23, this 10-Q provides complete financial statements and detailed credit quality disclosures.
At the time of this filing, BFST was trading at $31.74 on NASDAQ in the Finance sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $1B. The 52-week trading range was $22.56 to $32.39. This filing was assessed with neutral market sentiment and an importance score of 7 out of 10.