Business First Bancshares posts diluted earnings of $0.71 per share in third quarter
Key Facts
Business First Bancshares said net income available to common shareholders was $0.71 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2026, up $0.01 from the previous quarter. The results cover the quarter ended September 30, 2026, according to the company statement published via GlobeNewswire on October 26. The company also posted core net income of $26.0 million, or $0.79 per diluted share. That was an increase of $2.7 million and $0.08 per share, respectively, compared with the second quarter. The core measure offers another view of performance, but is not in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
A comparison of the two quarters shows reported diluted earnings per share rose by one cent, while core earnings recorded a larger increase of 8 cents. Core net income was $26.0 million in the three months ended September, after rising $2.7 million from the previous period. The company said the measure was $0.79 per diluted share, up $0.08 from the second quarter. This allows results to be compared on a core net income basis alongside net income available to common shareholders. The results record cited here did not include additional figures on revenue or the operating factors behind the quarterly change.
The company's earlier financial context dates to the second quarter, when net income available to common shareholders was $22.825 million, compared with $20.753 million in the second quarter of 2025, according to its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. But diluted earnings per share remained at $0.70 in both periods, according to the same filing. In that quarter, net interest income was $77.8 million, versus $67.0 million a year earlier, and net interest margin rose to 3.73% from 3.68%. These figures provide background on the bank's interest income before the third-quarter results announcement. They relate to the second quarter and do not describe performance in the quarter ended September.
The bank had $8.9 billion in assets through b1BANK as of June 30, 2026, according to the company statement, which specified that date for the figure. Loans held for investment totaled $6.7 billion at the time, up $470.0 million, or 7.6%, from the end of 2025. Deposits were $7.2 billion, an increase of $537.0 million, or 8.0%, from December 31, 2025. These figures indicate the size of the asset and funding base midway through the year, before the end of the third quarter. The asset figure should not be treated as a September 30 value, as the disclosure relates to June 30.
On asset quality, nonperforming assets rose to $109.2 million as of June 30, 2026, from $89.7 million at the end of 2025, according to the company filing. The company attributed the increase mainly to two commercial lending relationships. It also cited a property in Texas that it acquired through foreclosure during the quarter ended March 31, 2026. These items provide background on some of the credit risks present midway through the year. The available information does not include an update to these figures through the end of the third quarter.
Before the results were released, the company's shares, which trade under the symbol BFST, closed at $31.8 on October 23, according to EL7 data. The closing price provides context for the stock ahead of the announcement, without determining on its own the market's reaction to the results published on October 26. The company had scheduled a call and webinar to discuss third-quarter results on the same day, at 9:00 a.m. Central time. This followed publication of the results, allowing them to be discussed with investors and market participants. The available facts do not include a post-announcement share price or details of the call's content.