For the quarter ended June 2026, Business First (BFST Quick QuoteBFST - Free Report) reported revenue of $91.81 million, up 12.7% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.71, compared to $0.66 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +0.47% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $91.38 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $0.71, the company has not delivered EPS surprise.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Business First performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Net Interest Margin: 3.7% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 3.7%.
• Efficiency Ratio: 64.8% versus the two-analyst average estimate of 62.3%.
• Total Other Income: $13.97 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $14.06 million.
• Net Interest Income: $77.84 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $77.28 million.

View all Key Company Metrics for Business First here>>>

Shares of Business First have returned +1.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.