Earnings release
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b1 BANK 500 Laurel Street Baton Rouge , LA 70801 Phone : 877.614.7600 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 26 , 2021 Misty Albrecht b1BANK 225.286.7879 Misty.Albrecht@b1BANK.com BUSINESS FIRST BANCSHARES , INC . , ANNOUNCES FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR Q2 2021 Baton Rouge , La . ( July 26 , 2021 ) – Business First Bancshares , Inc. ( NASDAQ : BFST ) ( Business First ) , parent company of b1BANK , Baton Rouge , Louisiana , today announced its unaudited results for the quarter ended June 30 , 2021 , including net income of $ 17.4 million , or $ 0.84 per diluted share , an increase of $ 5.1 million and $ 0.25 , respectively , from the prior quarter ended March 31 , 2021. On a non - GAAP basis , core net income for the quarter ended June 30 , 2021 , which excludes certain income and expenses , was $ 18.7 million , or $ 0.90 per diluted share , an increase of $ 6.1 million and $ 0.29 , respectively , from prior quarter ended March 31 , 2021 . “ Our second quarter results included a number of successes that bode well for our progress over the remainder of 2021 , " said Jude Melville , president and CEO . “ Business demand was strong , resulting in record loan growth . This growth was driven primarily by our Dallas region which now accounts for approximately 18 % of our company's credit exposure . We sold the bulk of our SBA PPP portfolio , enabling us to re - position our go - forward asset mix and enhance our capital levels . We continued to attract talented teammates , both lifting out a team of bankers in New Orleans and adding an LPO in Ruston . These actions on top of integration of the Smith Shellnut Wilson , LLC investment management group give me confidence that our company is well positioned to continue building off this quarter's momentum . " On July 22 , 2021 , Business First's board of directors declared a quarterly dividend based upon financial performance for the second quarter in the amount of $ 0.12 per share , same as the prior quarter , to the common shareholders of record as of August 15 , 2021. The dividend will be paid on August 31 , 2021 , or as soon thereafter as practicable . b1BANK.com