ROA % is calculated as Net Income divided by its average Total Assets over a certain period of time. Southern First Bancshares's annualizedNet Income for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $39.5 Mil.
Southern First Bancshares's average Total Assets over the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $4,490.9 Mil. Therefore, Southern First Bancshares's annualized ROA % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 0.88%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Southern First Bancshares's ROA % or its related term are showing as below:
SFST'
s ROA % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.35 Med: 0.88 Max: 1.73
Current: 0.8
During the past 13 years, Southern First Bancshares's highest ROA % was 1.73%. The lowest was 0.35%. And the median was 0.88%.
SFST's ROA % is ranked worse than 62.52% of 1529
companies
in the Banks industry
Industry Median: 0.98
vs SFST: 0.80
Southern First Bancshares (NAS:SFST) ROA % Explanation
ROA % measures the rate of return on the total assets (shareholder equity plus liabilities). It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from shareholders' equity plus its liabilities. ROA % shows how well a company uses what it has to generate earnings. ROA %s can vary drastically across industries. Therefore, ROA % should not be used to compare companies in different industries. For retailers, a ROA % of higher than 5% is expected. For example, Wal-Mart (WMT) has a ROA % of about 8% as of 2012. For banks, ROA % is close to their interest spread. A banks ROA % is typically well under 2%.
Similar to ROE, ROA % is affected by profit margins and asset turnover. This can be seen from the Du Pont Formula:
Note:
The Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data. The Revenue data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) revenue 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.
Be Aware
Like ROE, ROA % is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in the company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective. ROA % can be affected by events such as stock buyback or issuance, and by goodwill, a company's tax rate and its interest payment. ROA % may not reflect the true earning power of the assets. A more accurate measurement is ROC % (ROC).
Many analysts argue the higher return the better. Buffett states that really high ROA % may indicate vulnerability in the durability of the competitive advantage.
E.g. Raising $43b to take on KO is impossible, but $1.7b to take on Moody's is. Although Moody's ROA % and underlying economics is far superior to Coca Cola, the durability is far weaker because of lower entry cost.
* 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.
For the Banks - Regional subindustry, Southern First Bancshares's ROA %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROA % 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 ROA % vs Banks Industry
For the Banks industry and Financial Services sector, Southern First Bancshares's ROA % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Southern First Bancshares's ROA % 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.
In the calculation of annual ROA %, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total assets over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data,
the Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data.
ROA % is displayed in the 30-year financial page.
Southern First Bancshares (SFST) has a ROA % of 0.88% as of Mar. 2026. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on Southern First Bancshares and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 0.88. Over the past decade, Southern First Bancshares' ROA % has ranged from 0.35 to 1.73. According to the industry distribution chart, Southern First Bancshares ranks #956 out of 1529 companies in the Banks industry, placing it in the top 62.5%.
Is Southern First Bancshares' ROA % too high?
Southern First Bancshares' current ROA % of 0.88% is near median its 10-year median of 0.88. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.35 to a high of 1.73. The Banks industry median ROA % is 0.98. Southern First Bancshares' value of 0.88% is 10.2% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Southern First Bancshares ranks #956 out of 1529 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 Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Southern First Bancshares' ROA % compare to NRIM and FFIC?
According to the Banks industry distribution chart, Southern First Bancshares ranks #956 out of 1529 companies for ROA %. This places Southern First Bancshares in the lower half of its industry. The industry median ROA % is 0.98. Southern First Bancshares' value of 0.88% is 10.2% below this benchmark. Historically, Southern First Bancshares' own ROA % has ranged from 0.35 to 1.73 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.88 vs. the industry median of 0.98, Southern First Bancshares has consistently been below 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 ROA % for a Banks company?
The median ROA % among Banks companies is 0.98, based on 1,529 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROA % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROA % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Southern First Bancshares's current ROA % of 0.88% is 10.2% below 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 ROA % mean?
A high ROA % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total assets. View historical data on Southern First Bancshares and its competitors. For the Banks industry, the median ROA % is 0.98 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Southern First Bancshares's current ROA % is 0.88%, which is near median its own 10-year median of 0.88. 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 Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $47.08, compared to a current price of $59.96 — trading 27.4% above its estimated fair value. The current ROA % is 0.88%, which is near median its 10-year median of 0.88 and 10.2% below the Banks industry median of 0.98. 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 ROA % calculated?
ROA % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Southern First Bancshares (SFST), the current ROA % is 0.88% 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 $59.96 is trading 27.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of $47.08.
GuruFocus considers Southern First Bancshares to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for SFST:
ROA %: 0.88% (near median its 10-year median of 0.88)
GF Value™: $47.08 vs. price of $59.96 (27.4% above fair value)
Industry Position: 10.2% below the Banks median (#956 of 1529)
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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