Case 57 Business First Bancshares

Business First Bancshares is the financial holding company and the parent company of Business First Bank (b1BANK), a state banking association and community-based financial institution which provides a full array of banking products and services. The b1 Bank is a commercial bank chartered under the laws of the State of Louisiana and was established in the year 2006 to support entrepreneurs and small community businesses. By December 31, 2021, Business First had total assets of $4.7 billion, total loans of $3.2 billion and total deposits of $4.1 billion. The company is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol BFST. As of December 31, 2021, Business First had 648 full-time and 18 part-time employees. Business First Bank offers products such as checking, savings and money market accounts, certificates of deposit, commercial and consumer loans, mortgage loans, real estate loans, and term loans. b1Bank also offers wealth management products, drive-through banking facilities, automated teller machines, night depository, credit and debit cards, Internet banking, electronic funds transfers through ACH services, domestic and foreign wire transfers, cash management, vault services, loan and deposit sweep accounts, and lock box services. The total monthly cumulative return for Business First stock was 12.2% compared to the market index S&P 500 returns of 49% during the period March 2018–February 2023.