BFST
Business First Bancshares, Inc.
BFST's outlook is improving, though it still trails on the overall score.
GS
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
GS has the edge over BFST overall, supported by stronger valuation and stronger fundamentals.
BFST Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Healthy | |
| Strong | |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
BFST's revenue and profitability are currently healthy. Free cash flow and net leverage aren't meaningful measures for financial services companies like BFST.
GS Fundamentals
| Metric | Status |
|---|---|
| Strong | |
| Strong | |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
GS's revenue and profitability are currently strong. Free cash flow and net leverage aren't meaningful measures for financial services companies like GS.
BFST PE Valuation
| Level | PE | Price | Vs current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap | 8.2x | $22.92 | -29% |
| Fair | 10x | $27.95 | -14% |
| Forward | 10x | $32.41 | — |
| Expensive | 12x | $33.92 | +4.6% |
| Current | 12x | $32.41 | — |
Historical ranges are pointers, not guarantees.
BFST has the edge over GS in the historical PE scenario, which offers more potential upside but is not a forecast.
GS PE Valuation
| Level | PE | Price | Vs current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cheap | 7.6x | $528 | -42% |
| Current | 13x | $914 | — |
| Forward | 13x | $914 | — |
| Fair | 14x | $940 | +2.9% |
| Expensive | 17x | $1,214 | +33% |
Historical ranges are pointers, not guarantees.
GS's PE is 13x, but its earnings don't support one, so it isn't a reliable read right now.
BFST Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| Improving | |
| Growth | |
| Growth | |
| Improving | |
| Limited | |
| High |
BFST has the edge over GS on the outlook, with more favorable valuation expectations.
GS Forward outlook
| Metric | Outlook |
|---|---|
| Stable | |
| Strong growth | |
| Growth | |
| Strongly improving | |
| Limited | |
| Low |
Analysts expect earnings and revenue growth for GS, with profitability improving. However, they disagree widely on these estimates.
BFST Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | $3.23 | +16% |
| Q3 2026 | $2.80 | +8.1% |
| Q2 2026 | $2.82 | +12% |
| Q1 2026 | $2.82 | +16% |
| Q4 2025 | $2.79 | +23% |
| Q3 2025 | $2.59 | +12% |
| Q2 2025 | $2.51 | +3.7% |
| Q1 2025 | $2.43 | -4% |
| Q4 2024 | $2.26 | -13% |
BFST earned $2.80 per share over the past year, up 8.1% from the year before.
GS Earnings Per Share
| Quarter | TTM EPS | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Forward | $72.35 | +4% |
| Q3 2026 | $69.58 | +41% |
| Q2 2026 | $64.82 | +43% |
| Q1 2026 | $54.75 | +27% |
| Q4 2025 | $51.32 | +27% |
| Q3 2025 | $49.22 | +44% |
| Q2 2025 | $45.37 | +45% |
| Q1 2025 | $43.08 | +68% |
| Q4 2024 | $40.54 | +77% |
GS has the edge over BFST on earnings, with more consistent year-over-year improvement.
BFST Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $93.2M | +15% |
| Q2 2026 | $91.8M | +13% |
| Q1 2026 | $89.2M | +13% |
| Q4 2025 | $83.1M | +7.1% |
| Q3 2025 | $80.9M | +21% |
| Q2 2025 | $81.5M | +23% |
| Q1 2025 | $79.2M | +30% |
| Q4 2024 | $77.6M | +29% |
BFST has the edge over GS on sales, with more consistent year-over-year improvement.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 33% | -2.6 points |
| Q2 2026 | 33% | -1.4 points |
| Q1 2026 | 33% | +0.4 points |
| Q4 2025 | 33% | +5.7 points |
| Q3 2025 | 36% | +1.6 points |
| Q2 2025 | 34% | +1.5 points |
| Q1 2025 | 33% | +4.4 points |
| Q4 2024 | 27% | -6.3 points |
BFST's operating margin was 33% last quarter, down 2.6 points from the same quarter a year ago.
GS Quarterly Revenue
| Quarter | Revenue | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $18.7B | +23% |
| Q2 2026 | $20.3B | +39% |
| Q1 2026 | $17.2B | +14% |
| Q4 2025 | $13.5B | -3% |
| Q3 2025 | $15.2B | +20% |
| Q2 2025 | $14.6B | +15% |
| Q1 2025 | $15.1B | +6% |
| Q4 2024 | $13.9B | +23% |
GS's revenue is growing: $18.7B last quarter, up 23% from the same quarter a year ago.
| Quarter | Margin | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 37% | +2 points |
| Q2 2026 | 42% | +8.1 points |
| Q1 2026 | 38% | +0.2 points |
| Q4 2025 | 44% | +5.6 points |
| Q3 2025 | 36% | +4.1 points |
| Q2 2025 | 34% | +3.2 points |
| Q1 2025 | 37% | +0.6 points |
| Q4 2024 | 38% | +18 points |
GS has the edge over BFST on profitability, with a higher operating margin.
BFST Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $43.7M | +36% |
| Q2 2026 | $27.1M | +96% |
| Q1 2026 | $26.7M | -3.5% |
| Q4 2025 | $18.5M | +5% |
| Q3 2025 | $32.1M | +53% |
| Q2 2025 | $13.8M | -1.5% |
| Q1 2025 | $27.7M | +283% |
| Q4 2024 | $17.6M | +15% |
BFST has the edge over GS on cash generation, producing positive trailing cash flow while its opponent burns cash.
GS Free Cash Flow
| Quarter | Free cash flow | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $3.7B | +72% |
| Q2 2026 | $5.6B | +7.8% |
| Q1 2026 | -$32.4B | +$5.3B |
| Q4 2025 | -$16.8B | -136% |
| Q3 2025 | $2.1B | +$40.6B |
| Q2 2025 | $5.2B | -6.8% |
| Q1 2025 | -$37.7B | -$9.2B |
| Q4 2024 | $46.2B | +$75.1B |
GS's free cash flow was −$40B over the past year, against $15.8B the year before. Free cash flow isn't a meaningful measure for financial services companies like GS.
BFST Total Shares
| Period | Change % | Net change |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | -0.1% | -32.7K shares |
| 1 year | +10% | +3.1M shares |
| 3 years | +29% | +7.4M shares |
| 5 years | +60% | +12.2M shares |
| Available history | +139% | +19.1M shares |
BFST has 33M diluted shares, up 10% from a year ago.
| Quarter | Spent |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $6.3M |
| Q2 2026 | $4.8M |
| Q1 2026 | $2.8M |
| Q4 2022 | — |
| Q3 2022 | — |
| Q2 2022 | — |
| Q1 2022 | — |
| Q4 2021 | — |
GS Total Shares
| Period | Change % | Net change |
|---|---|---|
| Quarterly | -1.2% | -3.8M shares |
| 1 year | -4.4% | -13.9M shares |
| 3 years | -12% | -42.8M shares |
| 5 years | -15% | -52.8M shares |
| Available history | -20% | -74.4M shares |
GS has the edge over BFST on shareholder dilution, with a more favorable share count trend.
| Quarter | Spent |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | $3B |
| Q2 2026 | $4B |
| Q1 2026 | $5B |
| Q4 2025 | $3B |
| Q3 2025 | $2B |
| Q2 2025 | $3B |
| Q1 2025 | $4.4B |
| Q4 2024 | $2B |
GS spent $15B buying back its own shares over the past year, up 32% from the year before.
BFST Net Leverage
| Quarter | Net Leverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -0.3x | Net Cash |
| Q2 2026 | -0.2x | Net Cash |
| Q1 2026 | -2.0x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2025 | 1.0x | Very low |
| Q3 2025 | 0.6x | Very low |
| Q2 2025 | 0.9x | Very low |
| Q1 2025 | 1.0x | Healthy |
| Q4 2024 | 1.6x | Healthy |
BFST has more cash than debt. Net leverage isn't a meaningful measure for financial services companies like BFST.
GS Net Leverage
| Quarter | Net Leverage | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | -5.4x | Net Cash |
| Q2 2026 | -6.1x | Net Cash |
| Q1 2026 | -6.7x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2025 | -6.4x | Net Cash |
| Q3 2025 | -3.5x | Net Cash |
| Q2 2025 | -3.1x | Net Cash |
| Q1 2025 | -3.9x | Net Cash |
| Q4 2024 | -4.7x | Net Cash |
GS has the edge over BFST on leverage, with a lower net debt burden relative to earnings.
BFST Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 64.9 | Neutral |
| Stochastic | 69.8 | Neutral |
BFST's weekly RSI is 65 (neutral) and its Stochastic is 70 (neutral).
GS Weekly Momentum
| Metric | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| RSI | 44.5 | Neutral |
| Stochastic | 16.3 | Oversold |
GS's weekly RSI is 45 (neutral) and its Stochastic is 16 (oversold).
BFST PE vs Financial Services Sector
| Metric | BFST | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 12x | 13x | 11% below |
| PE % | 80 | 63 | 17 pts above |
BFST has the edge over GS on valuation relative to its sector.
GS PE vs Financial Services Sector
| Metric | GS | Sector median | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 13x | 13x | 0.8% above |
| PE % | 46 | 63 | 17 pts below |
GS is trading at 13x earnings, in line with the Financial Services sector's median of 13x, though its earnings don't support one.
BFST Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $31.5 | 3% above |
| 20 week MA | $31.3 | 3.4% above |
| 50 week MA | $29.2 | 11% above |
| 100 week MA | $26.9 | 20% above |
| 200 week MA | $24.0 | 35% above |
BFST has the edge over GS on trend strength, trading above more of its moving averages.
GS Weekly Moving Averages
| Moving average | MA price | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 8 week MA | $895.5 | 2% above |
| 20 week MA | $977.4 | 6.5% below |
| 50 week MA | $945.4 | 3.4% below |
| 100 week MA | $804.5 | 14% above |
| 200 week MA | $602.7 | 52% above |
GS's trend is mixed: it's above three of its five weekly moving averages, and 52% above its 200-week average.
BFST Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $24.9 | $20.0 | -20% |
| 2021 | $20.0 | $28.1 | +41% |
| 2022 | $28.1 | $22.0 | -22% |
| 2023 | $22.0 | $24.7 | +12% |
| 2024 | $24.7 | $25.7 | +4.3% |
| 2025 | $25.7 | $26.7 | +3.9% |
| 2026 YTD | $26.7 | $32.4 | +21% |
BFST has the edge over GS on returns for 2026, with the stronger performance.
GS Yearly ROI
| Year | Start price | End price | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $230.7 | $256.2 | +11% |
| 2021 | $256.2 | $385.0 | +50% |
| 2022 | $385.0 | $345.5 | -10% |
| 2023 | $345.5 | $385.8 | +12% |
| 2024 | $385.8 | $576.2 | +49% |
| 2025 | $576.2 | $907.0 | +57% |
| 2026 YTD | $907.0 | $913.6 | +0.7% |
GS has finished higher in five of the last six years, two of them by more than 50%. It's up 0.7% so far in 2026.