Business First BancsharesBFST +0.27%64 Graham Number is $38.89 as of Mar. 2026, which is 5155% above its 10-year median of 0.74. GuruFocus rates BFST with a GF Score™ of 64/100 and a GF Value™ of $25.76 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,433 Banks companies, Business First Bancshares ranks better than 55.06% on this metric.
Graham Number is a figure that measures a stock's fundamental value by taking into account the company's earnings per share and book value per share. The Graham number is the upper bound of the price range that a defensive investor should pay for the stock. According to the theory, any stock price below the Graham number is considered undervalued, and thus worth investing in.
The historical rank and industry rank for Business First Bancshares's Graham Number or its related term are showing as below:
BFST'
s Price-to-Graham-Number Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.48 Med: 0.74 Max: 1.63
Current: 0.78
During the past 11 years, the highest Price to Graham Number ratio of Business First Bancshares was 1.63. The lowest was 0.48. And the median was 0.74.
BFST's Price-to-Graham-Number is ranked better than 55.06% of 1433
companies
in the Banks industry
Industry Median: 0.8
vs BFST: 0.78
Graham Number is a combination of asset valuation and earnings power valuation. It is a very conservative way of valuing a stock.
Business First Bancshares (NAS:BFST) Graham Number Explanation
Ben Graham actually did not publish a formula like this. But he wrote in The Intelligent Investor (1948 version) regarding to the criteria for purchases:
Current price should not be more than 15 times average earnings of the past three years.
Current price should not be more than 1.5 times the book value last reported. However, a multiplier of earnings below 15 could justify a correspondingly higher multiplier of assets. As a rule of thumb we suggest that the product of the multiplier times the ratio of price to book value should not exceed 22.5. (This figure corresponds to 15 times earnings and 1.5 times book value. It would admit an issue selling at only 9 times earnings and 2.5 times asset value, etc.)
Unlike valuation methods such as DCF or Discounted Earnings, the Graham number does not take growth into the valuation. Unlike the valuation methods based on book value alone, it takes into account the earnings power. Therefore, the Graham Number is a combination of asset valuation and earnings power valuation.
In general, the Graham number is a very conservative way of valuing a stock. It cannot be applied to companies with negative book values.
Business First Bancshares's Price to Graham number Ratio for today is calculated as
Price to Graham number
=
Share Price (Today)
/
Graham number (Q: Mar. 2026 )
=
30.17
/
38.89
=
0.78
* 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.
Be Aware
Please keep these in mind:
1. Graham Number does not take growth into account. Therefore it underestimates the values of the companies that have good earnings growth. We feel that if the earnings per share grows more than 10% a year, Graham Number underestimates the value.
2. Graham Number punishes the companies that have temporarily low earnings. Therefore, an average of earnings makes more sense in the calculation of Graham Number.
3. Graham Numbers underestimates companies that are light with book.
Business First Bancshares Graham Number Related Terms
Business First Bancshares Graham Number 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.
BFST vs FBAK, CCNE, AMTB: Graham Number Comparison
For the Banks - Regional subindustry, Business First Bancshares's Price-to-Graham-Number, along with its competitors' market caps and Price-to-Graham-Number 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.
Business First Bancshares Price-to-Graham-Number vs Banks Industry
For the Banks industry and Financial Services sector, Business First Bancshares's Price-to-Graham-Number distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Business First Bancshares's Price-to-Graham-Number 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.
Business First Bancshares (BFST) has a Graham Number of $38.89 as of Mar. 2026. The Graham Number values a company based on its per-share earnings and book value. View historical data on Business First Bancshares and its competitors. This is 5155% above median its historical median of 0.74. Over the past decade, Business First Bancshares' Graham Number has ranged from 0.48 to 1.63. According to the industry distribution chart, Business First Bancshares ranks #644 out of 1433 companies in the Banks industry, placing it in the top 44.9%.
Is Business First Bancshares' Graham Number too high?
Business First Bancshares' current Graham Number of $38.89 is 5155% above median its 10-year median of 0.74. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.48 to a high of 1.63. The Banks industry median Graham Number is 0.80. Business First Bancshares' value of $38.89 is 4761.3% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Business First Bancshares ranks #644 out of 1433 companies in the Banks industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Business First Bancshares has a GF Score™ of 64/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Business First Bancshares' Graham Number compare to FBAK and CCNE?
According to the Banks industry distribution chart, Business First Bancshares ranks #644 out of 1433 companies for Graham Number. This puts Business First Bancshares in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Graham Number is 0.80. Business First Bancshares' value of $38.89 is 4761.3% above this benchmark. Historically, Business First Bancshares' own Graham Number has ranged from 0.48 to 1.63 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.74 vs. the industry median of 0.80, Business 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 Graham Number for a Banks company?
The median Graham Number among Banks companies is 0.80, based on 1,433 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Graham Number significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Graham Number should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Business First Bancshares's current Graham Number of $38.89 is 4761.3% 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 Graham Number mean?
A high Graham Number can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Graham Number values a company based on its per-share earnings and book value. View historical data on Business First Bancshares and its competitors. For the Banks industry, the median Graham Number is 0.80 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Business First Bancshares's current Graham Number is $38.89, which is 5155% above median its own 10-year median of 0.74. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Business First Bancshares stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Business First Bancshares (BFST) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $25.76, compared to a current price of $30.17 — trading 17.1% above its estimated fair value. The current Graham Number is $38.89, which is 5155% above median its 10-year median of 0.74 and 4761.3% above the Banks industry median of 0.80. Business First Bancshares' overall GF Score™ is 64/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Graham Number calculated?
Graham Number is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Business First Bancshares (BFST), the current Graham Number is $38.89 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 Business First Bancshares (BFST) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Business First Bancshares stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $30.17 is trading 17.1% above its estimated GF Value™ of $25.76.
GuruFocus considers Business First Bancshares to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for BFST:
Graham Number: $38.89 (5155% above median its 10-year median of 0.74)
GF Value™: $25.76 vs. price of $30.17 (17.1% above fair value)
Industry Position: 4761.3% above the Banks median (#644 of 1433)
No single metric tells the full story. See the BFST stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Business First Bancshares Inc is a bank holding company. The company's services include personal and commercial banking, treasury management, and wealth solutions. It provides a range of financial services to small-to-midsized businesses and professionals. The company generates the majority of its revenues from interest income on loans, customer service and loan fees, and interest income from securities.
64GF Score
Get the complete analysis for BFST
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