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Southern First BancsharesSFST -2.34%57 Debt-to-Equity is 0.70 as of Mar. 2026, which is 30% above its 10-year median of 0.54. GuruFocus rates SFST with a GF Score™ of 57/100 and a GF Value™ of $47.02 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,423 Banks companies, Southern First Bancshares ranks worse than 57.41% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for Southern First Bancshares's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
SFST'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.13 Med: 0.54 Max: 1.26
Current: 0.7
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Southern First Bancshares was 1.26. The lowest was 0.13. And the median was 0.54.
SFST's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 57.41% of 1423
companies
in the Banks industry
Industry Median: 0.56
vs SFST: 0.70
Southern First Bancshares (NAS:SFST) Debt-to-Equity Explanation
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
Southern First Bancshares Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Southern First Bancshares Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
SFST vs BWB, KRNY, CBNK: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Banks - Regional subindustry, Southern First Bancshares's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Southern First Bancshares Debt-to-Equity vs Banks Industry
For the Banks industry and Financial Services sector, Southern First Bancshares's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Southern First Bancshares's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Southern First Bancshares (SFST) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.70 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Southern First Bancshares and its competitors. This is 30% above median its historical median of 0.54. Over the past decade, Southern First Bancshares' Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.13 to 1.26. According to the industry distribution chart, Southern First Bancshares ranks #817 out of 1423 companies in the Banks industry, placing it in the top 57.4%.
Is Southern First Bancshares' Debt-to-Equity too high?
Southern First Bancshares' current Debt-to-Equity of 0.70 is 30% above median its 10-year median of 0.54. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.13 to a high of 1.26. The Banks industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.56. Southern First Bancshares' value of 0.70 is 25% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Southern First Bancshares ranks #817 out of 1423 companies in the Banks industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Southern First Bancshares has a GF Score™ of 57/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Southern First Bancshares' Debt-to-Equity compare to BWB and KRNY?
According to the Banks industry distribution chart, Southern First Bancshares ranks #817 out of 1423 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Southern First Bancshares in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.56. Southern First Bancshares' value of 0.70 is 25% above this benchmark. Historically, Southern First Bancshares' own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.13 to 1.26 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.54 vs. the industry median of 0.56, Southern First Bancshares has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for a Banks company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Banks companies is 0.56, based on 1,423 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Southern First Bancshares's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.70 is 25% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Southern First Bancshares and its competitors. For the Banks industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.56 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Southern First Bancshares's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.70, which is 30% above median its own 10-year median of 0.54. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Southern First Bancshares stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Southern First Bancshares (SFST) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $47.02, compared to a current price of $62.20 — trading 32.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.70, which is 30% above median its 10-year median of 0.54 and 25% above the Banks industry median of 0.56. Southern First Bancshares' overall GF Score™ is 57/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Southern First Bancshares (SFST), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.70 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Southern First Bancshares (SFST) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Southern First Bancshares stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $62.20 is trading 32.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of $47.02.
GuruFocus considers Southern First Bancshares to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for SFST:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.70 (30% above median its 10-year median of 0.54)
GF Value™: $47.02 vs. price of $62.20 (32.3% above fair value)
Industry Position: 25% above the Banks median (#817 of 1423)
No single metric tells the full story. See the SFST stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Southern First Bancshares Inc is a bank holding company. Through its banking subsidiary, it is engaged in the business of accepting demand deposits and savings deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the FDIC), and providing commercial, consumer, and mortgage loans, ATM processing, and other banking products and services to the general public. The group operates through various retail offices located in the Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston markets of South Carolina, three retail offices in the Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte markets of North Carolina, and one retail office in Atlanta, Georgia.
57GF Score
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