Business First Bancshares Posts $24.6M Q3 Profit, Adjusted EPS Beats Estimates as Revenue Falls Short

Business First Bancshares Inc. (BFST) on Monday reported third-quarter profit of $24.6 million, or 71 cents per share, with adjusted earnings of 79 cents per share topping Wall Street expectations. The Baton Rouge, Louisiana-based bank said the results exceeded the average estimate of three analysts surveyed by Zacks Investment Research, which projected 74 cents per share. Adjusted figures excluded merger and acquisition costs and non-recurring items. Revenue for the period was $140 million, while revenue net of interest expense came to $93.2 million, missing forecasts. Four analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $93.6 million. Business First shares have climbed 22% since the start of the year and are up 27% over the past 12 months.