Is Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST) Halal?

NASDAQ Financial Services United States $873M
✗ NOT HALAL
Confidence: 95/100
Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST) is Not Halal under AAOIFI Standard 21 due to its classification in the Banks - Regional industry, which is excluded under Shariah screening. Companies operating in prohibited sectors such as conventional banking, insurance, alcohol, tobacco, and gambling are automatically excluded regardless of their financial ratios.

Shariah Screening — 5 Standards

Based on financial data from December 2025

Standard Debt Ratio Cash Ratio Receivables Income Status
AAOIFI Excluded — Banks - Regional ✗ NOT HALAL
DJIM Excluded — Banks - Regional ✗ NOT HALAL
MSCI Excluded — Banks - Regional ✗ NOT HALAL
S&P Excluded — Banks - Regional ✗ NOT HALAL
FTSE Excluded — Banks - Regional ✗ NOT HALAL

Financial Highlights

P/E Ratio
9.5
Forward: 8.1
EPS
$2.79
Dividend Yield
218.0%
Payout: 20.4%
P/B Ratio
1.1
Revenue
$320M
Growth: 12.9%
Beta
0.8
Average volatility

Profitability

Gross Margin 0.0%
Operating Margin 36.2%
Net Margin 28.1%
Return on Equity (ROE) 10.4%
Return on Assets (ROA) 1.1%

Cash Flow & Balance Sheet

Operating Cash Flow$92M
Free Cash Flow$92M
Total Debt$529M
Total Assets$8.2B

Price & Trading

Last Close$26.84
50-Day MA$27.69
200-Day MA$25.67
Avg Volume167K
Beta0.8
52-Week Range
$20.07
$30.32

About Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST)

CEO
Mr. David R. Melville III
Employees
821
Sector
Financial Services
Industry
Banks - Regional
Country
United States
Exchange
NASDAQ
Market Cap
$873M
Currency
USD

Business First Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for b1BANK that provides various banking products and services in Louisiana and Texas. It offers various deposit products and services, including checking and savings, time, and money market accounts; and certificates of deposits, remote deposit capture, and direct deposit services. The company also provides commercial and industrial loans, such as working capital, term, equipment financing, asset acquisition, expansion and development, borrowing base, and other loan products, as well as commercial lines of credit, accounts receivable factoring, agricultural financing, and letters of credit; construction and development loans; commercial real estate loans; residential real estate loans comprising first and second lien 1-4 family mortgage loans, and home equity lines of credit; and consumer loans, including secured and unsecured installment, and term loans. In addition, it offers wealth management products, including mutual funds, annuities, individual retirement accounts, and other financial products, as well as other fiduciary and private banking products and services. Further, the company provides a range of other financial services comprising debit and credit cards, treasury and cash management, merchant, automated clearing house, lock-box, receivables factoring, correspondent banking, and other treasury services, as well as employee and payroll benefits solutions; and drive-through banking facilities, automated teller machines, night depository, personalized checks, electronic funds transfer, domestic and foreign wire transfer, traveler's checks, vault, loan and deposit sweep accounts, interest-rate swaps, small business administration products, online and mobile banking, e-statements, and bank-by-mail services. Business First Bancshares, Inc. was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST) halal to invest in?

Based on our screening using AAOIFI Standard 21 (the strictest methodology), Business First Bancshares, Inc. is Not Halal. The company fails one or more screening criteria. We screen against all 5 major standards: AAOIFI, DJIM, MSCI, S&P, and FTSE.

What is Business First Bancshares, Inc.'s debt ratio?

Business First Bancshares, Inc.'s debt ratio is not available under the AAOIFI standard (which uses market capitalization as the denominator). The AAOIFI threshold is 30%.

What are Business First Bancshares, Inc.'s key financial metrics?

Business First Bancshares, Inc. has a market capitalization of $873M, trailing P/E ratio of 9.5, and revenue of $320M. Return on equity stands at 10.4%.

How often is the screening data updated?

Our screening data is updated regularly using the latest available financial statements and market data. Stock prices and market caps are refreshed frequently, while financial statements are updated quarterly when companies report earnings.

Disclaimer: HalalStockGuide.com provides Shariah compliance screening for educational and informational purposes only. This is not a fatwa, financial advice, or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Screening results are based on publicly available financial data and established methodologies. Always consult a qualified Islamic scholar and a licensed financial advisor before making investment decisions.