Bank First (NASDAQ:BFC) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume – Should You Buy?

Bank First Co. (NASDAQ:BFC) saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 20,839 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 10% from the previous session’s volume of 18,953 shares.The stock last traded at $102.83 and had previously closed at $102.09.

Bank First Trading Up 0.7 %

The company has a 50-day moving average price of $101.23 and a 200-day moving average price of $98.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 1.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.82 and a beta of 0.32.

Bank First (NASDAQ:BFC) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 21st. The company reported $1.74 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.19. Bank First had a return on equity of 10.53% and a net margin of 29.00%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Bank First Co. will post 6.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Bank First Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 9th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 26th will be issued a dividend of $0.45 per share. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.75%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 26th. Bank First’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.69%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Michael S. Stayer-Suprick purchased 1,000 shares of Bank First stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $102.07 per share, with a total value of $102,070.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 3,035 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $309,782.45. This trade represents a 49.14 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 4.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bank First

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Bank First in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Sterling Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Bank First by 771.4% in the fourth quarter. Sterling Capital Management LLC now owns 305 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the period. Quest Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bank First by 212.6% during the third quarter. Quest Partners LLC now owns 2,057 shares of the company’s stock worth $187,000 after buying an additional 1,399 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in shares of Bank First during the fourth quarter valued at about $189,000. Finally, Hanlon Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Bank First in the fourth quarter worth $218,000. 29.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Bank First Company Profile

Bank First Corporation operates as a holding company for Bank First, N.A. that provides consumer and commercial financial services to businesses, professionals, consumers, associations, individuals, and governmental authorities in Wisconsin. It offers checking, savings, money market, cash management, retirement, and health savings accounts; other time deposits; certificates of deposit; and residential mortgage products.