BFST Business First Bancshares, Inc. — dividend yield, history & ex-dividend dates
Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST) serves as the bank holding company for b1BANK, delivering an extensive array of banking products and financial services. Its deposit offerings include checking, demand, money market, time, and savings accounts, alongside certificates of deposit, and modern conveniences such as remote and direct deposit capabilities. The company provides a diverse portfolio of lending solutions. These include commercial and industrial loans for working capital, equipment financing, asset acquisition, expansion, and development, featuring lines of credit, letters of credit, term loans, and borrowing base facilities. BFST also finances construction and development projects, commercial real estate, and residential properties, offering first and second lien mortgages for 1-4 family homes, plus home equity lines of credit. Consumer loan options span both secured and unsecured installment and term arrangements. Beyond traditional banking, BFST offers wealth management services, encompassing mutual funds, annuities, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), other investment products, fiduciary services, and private banking solutions. A wide range of additional financial tools are available, including debit and credit cards, comprehensive treasury and cash management services (such as merchant services, automated clearing house (ACH), lock-box, receivables factoring, and correspondent banking), and employee and payroll benefits solutions. Customer access points feature drive-through facilities, ATMs, night depositories, personalized checks, electronic funds transfer (EFT), domestic and international wire transfers, traveler's checks, vault services, sweep accounts, and robust online and mobile banking platforms, e-statements, and bank-by-mail services. As of March 1, 2022, Business First Bancshares operated approximately 48 full-service banking centers and three loan production offices across Louisiana, and in the Dallas and Houston metropolitan areas. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Dividend Snapshot
Research Scores
Scores describe this security's published financial data on a 0–100 scale using the formulas on our methodology pages. They are the same for every reader, are not a probability or a forecast, and are not a recommendation. Past dividend growth does not guarantee future increases. Report a data error.
How the Dividend Safety Score is built for BFST
| Input | Value | Points | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend record | 8 years of uninterrupted regular payments | 62 | 25% |
| Earnings stability | Net income positive in 5 of the last 5 fiscal years (FY2021–FY2025) | 100 | 15% |
| Earnings payout ratio | Earnings payout ratio 21% (TTM to Jun 30, 2026) | 100 | 30% |
| Equity / assets | Equity / assets 11.3% (balance sheet Jun 30, 2026) | 100 | 20% |
| Return on assets | Return on assets 1.10% (TTM to Jun 30, 2026; average total assets) | 93 | 10% |
Inputs that are not available are left out and the remaining weights are scaled up. Profile: bank. Formula version 2026-10-19.4.
How the Dividend Growth Score is built for BFST
| Input | Value | Points | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-year dividend growth | 5-year dividend CAGR 7.3% (2020–2025) | 87 | 25% |
| Consecutive annual increases | 6 consecutive annual increases (through 2025) | 64 | 20% |
| Payout headroom | Headroom from the earnings payout ratio 21% (TTM to Jun 30, 2026) | 100 | 20% |
| Earnings per share growth (3 years) | EPS CAGR 6.2% (FY2022–FY2025) | 81 | 15% |
| 10-year dividend growth | N/A (not used) | N/A | 10% |
Inputs that are not available are left out and the remaining weights are scaled up. Profile: bank. Formula version 2026-10-19.4.
How the Dividend Value Score is built for BFST
| Input | Value | Points | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yield vs own history | Current yield at the 28th percentile of its 90 month-end yields | 28 | 45% |
| P/B vs own 5-year median | P/B 1.1 is 1.10x its 5-year median of 1.0 | 37 | 30% |
| P/B vs peers | P/B 1.1 vs peer median 1.3 (0.88x; 117 bank / Financial Services securities) | 66 | 25% |
Inputs that are not available are left out and the remaining weights are scaled up. Profile: bank. Formula version 2026-10-19.4.
Key Metrics
Current Yield
1.92%
At the Oct 19, 2026 price
The annual dividend as a percentage of the share price. A 3% yield is about $3 of dividends a year for every $100 invested at today's price.Annualized Dividend
$0.6000
Declared Jul 23, 2026
The latest declared regular dividend scaled to a full year by how often it's paid (for semi-annual payers, the latest two payments), adjusted for stock splits. A $0.25 quarterly dividend annualizes to $1.00. Special dividends are excluded.Frequency
Q Quarterly
How often the dividend is paid, read from the dates of recent payments: Q = quarterly (4x a year), M = monthly, S = semi-annual, A = annual.RSI (14)
53
As of Oct 19, 2026
Relative Strength Index (0-100), a price-momentum gauge. Above 70 is often called 'overbought', below 30 'oversold'. A technical signal, not a dividend metric.52-Week Range
$22.73 – $32.28
Closes through Oct 16, 2026
The lowest and highest price over the past year, showing where today's price sits in its recent range.Payout Ratio (TTM)
25.54%
12 months to Jun 30, 2026 (Q2 FY2026)
The share of earnings paid out as dividends over the trailing twelve months (TTM): dividends paid divided by net income across the company's four most recent reported quarters, dated by the latest quarter end. A fiscal-year tag such as FY2025 means only annual figures were available. Lower leaves more cushion; above 100% means paying out more than the company earned. It shows n/a for funds and when net income over the period was negative; for REITs and BDCs it is marked EPS-based, since they are judged on FFO/AFFO or net investment income instead.Years Paying
10
How many years of payments we have on record. This can understate very long histories where our data doesn't reach far enough back.Price / Book (TTM)
1.01
Price as of Oct 18, 2026; latest reported book value
Price-to-book ratio: the share price on the date shown divided by the latest reported book value per share. A rough valuation gauge, most useful for asset-heavy sectors like REITs, banks and insurers.S.A.F.E. Dividend Read
Quote & Key Data
Dividend Growth
Why the Yield Moved (90 Days)
BFST's dividend yield fell from 1.97% to 1.92% over the past ~90 days (-0.05 pp). Of that move, +0.00 pp came from changes in the dividend rate and -0.05 pp from the share price ($30.49 on Jul 22, 2026 → $31.31 on Oct 19, 2026). A yield that rises because the price fell is not an improvement in the payout itself.
Yield vs Its Own History
Across 275 daily observations over the past 13 months (through Oct 16, 2026), BFST's current yield is higher than approximately 9% of them. Our stored price history for BFST covers the past 13 months; 3- and 5-year averages are not yet computable from it and are deliberately not shown.
Adjusted Price History
Dividend History
Dividend Payment History
Ex-dividend calendar →| Amount | Type | Declared | Ex-Date | Record | Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.1500 Q | Regular | Jul 23, 2026 | Aug 14, 2026 | Aug 15, 2026 | Aug 31, 2026 |
| $0.1500 Q | Regular | Apr 23, 2026 | May 15, 2026 | May 15, 2026 | May 29, 2026 |
| $0.1500 Q | Regular | Jan 22, 2026 | Feb 13, 2026 | Feb 15, 2026 | Feb 28, 2026 |
| $0.1500 Q | Regular | Oct 23, 2025 | Nov 14, 2025 | Nov 15, 2025 | Nov 30, 2025 |
| $0.1400 Q | Regular | Jul 24, 2025 | Aug 15, 2025 | Aug 15, 2025 | Aug 31, 2025 |
| $0.1400 Q | Regular | Apr 24, 2025 | May 15, 2025 | May 15, 2025 | May 31, 2025 |
| $0.1400 Q | Regular | Jan 23, 2025 | Feb 14, 2025 | Feb 15, 2025 | Feb 28, 2025 |
| $0.1400 Q | Regular | Oct 24, 2024 | Nov 15, 2024 | Nov 15, 2024 | Nov 30, 2024 |
| $0.1400 Q | Regular | Jul 25, 2024 | Aug 15, 2024 | Aug 15, 2024 | Aug 31, 2024 |
| $0.1400 Q | Regular | Apr 25, 2024 | May 14, 2024 | May 15, 2024 | May 31, 2024 |
| $0.1400 Q | Regular | Jan 23, 2024 | Feb 14, 2024 | Feb 15, 2024 | Feb 28, 2024 |
| $0.1400 Q | Regular | Oct 26, 2023 | Nov 14, 2023 | Nov 15, 2023 | Nov 30, 2023 |
| $0.1200 Q | Regular | Jul 27, 2023 | Aug 14, 2023 | Aug 15, 2023 | Aug 31, 2023 |
| $0.1200 Q | Regular | Apr 27, 2023 | May 12, 2023 | May 15, 2023 | May 31, 2023 |
| $0.1200 Q | Regular | Jan 25, 2023 | Feb 14, 2023 | Feb 15, 2023 | Feb 28, 2023 |
| $0.1200 Q | Regular | Oct 26, 2022 | Nov 14, 2022 | Nov 15, 2022 | Nov 30, 2022 |
| $0.1200 Q | Regular | Jul 26, 2022 | Aug 12, 2022 | Aug 15, 2022 | Aug 31, 2022 |
| $0.1200 Q | Regular | Apr 26, 2022 | May 12, 2022 | May 15, 2022 | May 31, 2022 |
| $0.1200 Q | Regular | Jan 24, 2022 | Feb 14, 2022 | Feb 15, 2022 | Feb 28, 2022 |
| $0.1200 Q | Regular | Oct 20, 2021 | Nov 12, 2021 | Nov 15, 2021 | Nov 30, 2021 |
| $0.1200 Q | Regular | Jul 26, 2021 | Aug 12, 2021 | Aug 15, 2021 | Aug 31, 2021 |
| $0.1200 Q | Regular | Apr 22, 2021 | May 13, 2021 | May 15, 2021 | May 31, 2021 |
| $0.1000 Q | Regular | Jan 25, 2021 | Feb 11, 2021 | Feb 15, 2021 | Feb 28, 2021 |
| $0.1000 Q | Regular | Oct 22, 2020 | Nov 12, 2020 | Nov 15, 2020 | Nov 30, 2020 |
| $0.1000 Q | Regular | Jul 23, 2020 | Aug 13, 2020 | Aug 15, 2020 | Aug 31, 2020 |
| $0.1000 Q | Regular | Apr 23, 2020 | May 14, 2020 | May 15, 2020 | May 31, 2020 |
| $0.1000 Q | Regular | Jan 22, 2020 | Feb 13, 2020 | Feb 15, 2020 | Feb 28, 2020 |
| $0.1000 Q | Regular | Oct 17, 2019 | Nov 14, 2019 | Nov 15, 2019 | Nov 30, 2019 |
| $0.1000 Q | Regular | Jul 23, 2019 | Aug 14, 2019 | Aug 15, 2019 | Aug 31, 2019 |
| $0.1000 Q | Regular | Apr 23, 2019 | May 14, 2019 | May 15, 2019 | May 31, 2019 |
| $0.0800 Q | Regular | Jan 24, 2019 | Feb 14, 2019 | Feb 15, 2019 | Feb 28, 2019 |
| $0.0800 Q | Regular | Oct 18, 2018 | Nov 14, 2018 | Nov 15, 2018 | Nov 30, 2018 |
| $0.0800 Q | Regular | Jul 19, 2018 | Aug 14, 2018 | Aug 15, 2018 | Aug 31, 2018 |
| $0.0800 Q | Regular | Apr 19, 2018 | May 14, 2018 | May 15, 2018 | May 31, 2018 |
| $0.0500 A | One-off | Apr 19, 2016 | Apr 27, 2016 | Apr 29, 2016 | May 16, 2016 |
Peer Comparison
Selected Banks - Regional dividend payers we cover, strongest DividendRank first — for context, not a recommendation.
| Ticker | Name | Yield | 5-Yr Growth | Streak | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCNCB | First Citizens BancShares, Inc. | 0.50% | 36.6% | 9 yrs | 91 |
| FCNCA | First Citizens BancShares, Inc. | 0.40% | 36.6% | 9 yrs | 88 |
| PB | Prosperity Bancshares, Inc. | 3.54% | 4.6% | 24 yrs | 86 |
| CBSH | Commerce Bancshares, Inc. | 1.98% | 5.1% | 35 yrs | 85 |
Related Guides & Lists
BFST dividend — frequently asked questions
Does Business First Bancshares, Inc. pay a dividend?
Yes. Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST) currently pays a dividend. The annualized dividend is about $0.60 per share, a yield of approximately 1.92%.
What is Business First Bancshares, Inc.'s dividend yield?
Business First Bancshares, Inc.'s dividend yield is approximately 1.92%, based on the most recent regular payment annualized against the current share price. Yields move as the share price changes.
How often does Business First Bancshares, Inc. pay dividends?
Business First Bancshares, Inc. pays dividends quarterly — 4 times per year.
How long has Business First Bancshares, Inc. paid dividends?
Business First Bancshares, Inc. has 10 years of dividend payments on record, and has increased its dividend for 6 consecutive years.
Data updated Oct 19, 2026. This research page is generated from Dividendly's structured market and dividend dataset using the approach described on our methodology and data sources pages. Data is automatically validated using defined rules and may also be periodically reviewed. Research only, not investment advice. Spotted a data error? Report it.