October 10, 2024
Top 10 Stock Business First Bancshares Strong Buy Recommendation
How to read the ranks
For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".
Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".
Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.
Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.
(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).
(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.
Snapshot: Business First Bancshares – Top 10 Stock in Sound Pay Practices in the United States
Business First Bancshares is listed as a top 10 stock on October 10, 2024 in the market index Sound Pay USA because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. As all consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit excellent performance, including positive market sentiment in the professional investor community, it is a solid stock investment where the risk of paying too much for the shares is limited. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 100 (top 100% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall strong buy recommendation for Business First Bancshares on October 10, 2024.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | USA |
| Industry | Regional Banks |
| Index | Sound Pay USA, NASDAQ |
| Size class | XX-Large |
When Obermatt identifies the Top 10 stocks in a market, it’s based on a certain investment strategy. The best performing stocks usually aren’t the ones that everyone is talking about (those are often "over-priced" and have low Value ranks).
For each investment strategy, we provide you with more detailed analysis and our recommendation. You see the ranks of the top 10 stocks ranked by that particular investment strategy (360° View, Sentiment, Value, Growth, Safety and Combined Financial Performance).
360° View: Obermatt 360° View Business First Bancshares Strong Buy
| 360 METRICS | October 10, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 67 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 71 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 79 |
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| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 99 |
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| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 100 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 100 (better than 100% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock Business First Bancshares are very positive. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with all four indicators above average for Business First Bancshares. The consolidated Value Rank has an attractive rank of 67, which means that the share price of Business First Bancshares is on the lower side compared with the typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. This means the stock price is lower than for 67% of alternative stocks in the same industry. The consolidated Growth Rank has a good rank of 71, which means that the company experiences above-average growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, and invested capital growth as well as stock returns. The company is also safely financed with a Safety rank of 79. Finally, professional market sentiment is above average compared with other stock investment alternatives with a Sentiment Rank of 99. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 100, Business First Bancshares is better positioned than 100% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. As all consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit excellent performance, such as good value (Value Rank of 67), above-average growth (Growth Rank of 71), safe financing practices (Safety Rank of 79), and a positive market sentiment in the professional investor community (Sentiment Rank of 99), it is a solid stock investment where the risk of paying too much for the shares is limited and disappointments are less likely to occur, unless information not publicly available. High-Value Ranks sometimes indicate that the company's future is challenging. If they are safely financed and have above average growth, and are still a good value, it may indicate that this will not continue. We recommend evaluating whether the future of Business First Bancshares is as difficult as the stock’s low price, despite what good growth and safe financing practice suggest. Since the professional community is optimistic, you might have less to worry about, and the stock is just not sufficiently visible, which may indicate good timing right now. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for Business First Bancshares very positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 99 (better than 99% compared with alternatives) for 2024, overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock Business First Bancshares is very positive. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with all but one indicator above average for Business First Bancshares. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 83 (better than 83% of alternative investments), which means that currently, stock research analysts tend to recommend a stock investment in the company. In addition, Analyst Opinions Change has a rank of 96, which means that currently, stock research experts are getting even more optimistic. Obermatt Market Pulse further supports this with a rank of 74, which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are generally positive when discussing this company (more positive news than for 74% of competitors). But there are few stock holdings by institutional investors. The Professional Investors rank is low at 43, which means that currently, professional investors hold less stock in this company than in 57% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to invest in other companies. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 99 (more positive than 99% compared with investment alternatives), Business First Bancshares has a reputation among professional investors that is significantly higher than that of its competitors. Not having too many professionals invested in Business First Bancshares may be less of an issue, especially if the stock is from a smaller company where professionals typically invest less. It is natural for professional investors to focus on large and extra-large companies, as they provide more safety. Smaller companies attract fewer professionals in the shareholder community. Overall, the signals from the professionals are still quite favorable for investments in Business First Bancshares. ...read more
Value Strategy: Business First Bancshares Stock Price Value better than average
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 67 (better than 67% compared with alternatives), Business First Bancshares shares are more attractively priced than the majority of comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators above average for Business First Bancshares. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 91, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 91% of comparable companies, indicating a good value regarding Business First Bancshares's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price to Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 66% of alternatives, and it's also true for the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 56. But, compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields are expected to be lower than average; only 27% of all competitors have even lower dividend yields than Business First Bancshares (a Dividend Yield Rank of 27). 73% alternative investments in the same business provide a higher dividend yield. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 67, is a buy recommendation based on Business First Bancshares's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. The below-average dividend yield may be a good sign, as it could mean the company has more attractive investment opportunities for the generated cash than to pay it out as dividends. A low dividend yield can also indicate a growth phase. ...read more
Growth Strategy: Business First Bancshares Growth Momentum good
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 71 (better than 71% compared with alternatives), Business First Bancshares shows an above-average growth dynamic in its industry. Investors also speak of positive momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for Business First Bancshares. Sales Growth has a rank of 94 which means that currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 94% of its competitors. Capital Growth is also above 33% of competitors with a rank of 61. But Profit Growth only has a rank of 33, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 67% of its competitors. And Stock Returns have also been below average with a rank of only 43. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 71, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. Profits are sometimes low if the company invests in the future. The positive revenue and capital investment outlook confirms such an interpretation. Both revenues and capital are solid growth indicators, and lower profits in such a case would be encouraging. But the investors see it differently by punishing the share price. Sometimes, Mister Market is not very reliable, because it is not uncommon for it to be volatile. Investors should look out for signs of growth expenditure that could justify low profit growth, and they may also find reasons why recent stock price developments don't confirm the growth outlook of operations. While operating growth indicators are not perfect, they are more reliable indicators for future performance than stock prices that can repeatedly surprise investors. ...read more
Safety Strategy: Business First Bancshares Debt Financing Safety very solid
| SAFETY METRICS | October 10, 2024 | |||||||
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| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 88 |
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| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 67 |
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| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 47 |
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| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 79 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 79 (better than 79% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company Business First Bancshares has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Business First Bancshares is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators where two out of three are above average for Business First Bancshares.Leverage is at 88, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 88% of its competitors.Refinancing is at a rank of 67, meaning that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 67% of its competitors. Liquidity is at 47, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 53% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the riskier side regarding debt service. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 79 (better than 79% compared with alternatives), Business First Bancshares has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. Low leverage and low refinancing risk mean a safer financing situation. However, low liquidity means that current company cash flows are low in relation to the level of debt. This is a sign of caution in case it is expected for profits to remain low. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: Business First Bancshares Top Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | October 10, 2024 | |||||||
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| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 67 |
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| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 71 |
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| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 47 |
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| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 97 |
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ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 97 (better than 97% compared with investment alternatives), Business First Bancshares (Regional Banks, USA) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Business First Bancshares are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 67 (better than 67% of alternatives), show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 71), and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 79), which means low debt burdens. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 97, is a strong buy recommendation based on Business First Bancshares's financial characteristics. As the company Business First Bancshares's key financial metrics all exhibit excellent performance, such as good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 67), above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 71), and indicate that the company is safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 79), it is a solid stock investment where the risk of paying too much for the share is limited, unless the company has a bleak future. Such good financial performance can indicate that the company's future might actually be challenging, as it may be difficult to maintain the good performance. If they are safely financed and have been growing above average, and are still a good value, it means that the market is keeping prices low, for a reason which may become clearer over time. We recommend evaluating the future of Business First Bancshares. If you believe the company's future is market-typical or even better, this could be an argument for a share purchase. ...read more
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