Business First Bancshares, Inc.
Business First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: BFST) is trading at $30.41, about ₹2,921 at today's USD/INR rate, as of 29 Sep 2026, 4:00 PM ET, down 0.85% today. Indian residents can buy Business First Bancshares from India on Paasa under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme.
Quote
Today's low
$30.18
Today's high
$30.84
52 week low
$22.56
52 week high
$32.53
BFST opened at $30.82, closed previously at $30.67, and has traded between $22.56 and $32.53 over the past 52 weeks.
About
Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST) serves as the bank holding company for b1BANK, delivering an extensive array of banking products and financial services. Its deposit offerings include checking, demand, money market, time, and savings accounts, alongside certificates of deposit, and modern conveniences such as remote and direct deposit capabilities. The company provides a diverse portfolio of lending solutions. These include commercial and industrial loans for working capital, equipment financing, asset acquisition, expansion, and development, featuring lines of credit, letters of credit, term loans, and borrowing base facilities. BFST also finances construction and development projects, commercial real estate, and residential properties, offering first and second lien mortgages for 1-4 family homes, plus home equity lines of credit. Consumer loan options span both secured and unsecured installment and term arrangements. Beyond traditional banking, BFST offers wealth management services, encompassing mutual funds, annuities, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), other investment products, fiduciary services, and private banking solutions. A wide range of additional financial tools are available, including debit and credit cards, comprehensive treasury and cash management services (such as merchant services, automated clearing house (ACH), lock-box, receivables factoring, and correspondent banking), and employee and payroll benefits solutions. Customer access points feature drive-through facilities, ATMs, night depositories, personalized checks, electronic funds transfer (EFT), domestic and international wire transfers, traveler's checks, vault services, sweep accounts, and robust online and mobile banking platforms, e-statements, and bank-by-mail services. As of March 1, 2022, Business First Bancshares operated approximately 48 full-service banking centers and three loan production offices across Louisiana, and in the Dallas and Houston metropolitan areas. The company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Key statistics
Avg. volume
237.86K
Market cap
$993.74M
P/E Ratio
10.78
Price-to-sales ratio
2.18
Enterprise value
$912.47M
Free cash flow yield
11.92%
Debt-to-equity ratio
0.61
Return on equity
9.80%
ROIC
5.97%
Beta
0.77
Dividend yield
1.97%
Last dividend
$0.60
Financial overview
Revenue
$511.93M
Earnings per share
$2.79
Free cash flow
$92.08M
Net profit margin
20.42%
Gross margin
56.36%
EBITDA
$119.09M
Revenue growth
11.84%
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This is not an investment recommendation
How to buy Business First Bancshares from India
Indian residents can buy Business First Bancshares shares through Paasa in four steps. Funds leave India under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme and the shares are held in your own name with Interactive Brokers.
Open a Paasa account
Complete digital KYC with your PAN, Aadhaar and address proof. Your brokerage account is opened in your own name with Interactive Brokers.
Add funds under LRS
Transfer INR from your Indian bank account. Your bank reports the remittance under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme and converts it to US dollars.
Search for Business First Bancshares and place an order
Find Business First Bancshares by name or by its ticker, BFST, and choose an order type. You can buy by amount or by quantity — fractional shares mean there is no minimum trade size. Business First Bancshares trades 7:00 pm – 1:30 am IST; orders can only execute during that window.
Track holdings and download tax reports
Follow your Business First Bancshares position in USD and INR, and use Paasa's capital-gains and dividend statements when you file your Indian return.
Read the full guide: how to invest in Business First Bancshares from India
Trading and taxes when buying Business First Bancshares from India
Trading and limits
- Trading hours
- 9:30 am – 4:00 pm ET
- LRS limit
- $250,000Per financial year, under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme.
Tax for Indian residents
- TCS on remittance
- 20%Collected by your bank on LRS remittances above ₹10 lakh in a financial year. The TCS is adjustable against your income-tax liability.Adjusting TCS against your tax
- Capital gains in India
- 12.5% or slab rateGains on shares held for more than 24 months are long-term and taxed at 12.5%. Gains on shares held for 24 months or less are short-term and taxed at your income-tax slab rate.Capital gains explained
- Dividends
- Slab rateDividends are taxed at your slab rate in India. The US withholds tax on dividends paid to Indian residents at the treaty rate; Paasa files Form W-8BEN for you, and the tax withheld can generally be claimed as a credit in India. Business First Bancshares’ current yield is 1.97%.Dividend tax explained
- US estate tax
- May applyUS-situs assets such as US-listed shares can be exposed to US estate tax for non-US persons.US estate tax calculator
Custody. Shares are held in your own name at Interactive Brokers LLC and are SIPC-insured up to $500,000 in total, including $250,000 for cash.
FAQs
Can Indian residents buy Business First Bancshares stock?
Yes. Business First Bancshares (BFST) has been listed on NASDAQ since 2018, in the Banks - Regional industry, and Indian residents can buy it through Paasa. You fund the account from your Indian bank under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme and the money is converted to US dollars. Shares are held in your own name at Interactive Brokers LLC and are SIPC-insured up to $500,000 in total, including $250,000 for cash.
How much does one Business First Bancshares share cost in rupees?
One Business First Bancshares share is $30.41 — about ₹2,921 at a USD/INR rate of 96.06 on 29 Sep 2026. Both the Business First Bancshares price and the rupee rate move during the day, so the rupee cost changes with them.
What are the LRS and TCS rules for buying Business First Bancshares from India?
Remit up to $250,000 per financial year under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS). Banks collect 20% tax at source on LRS remittances above ₹10 lakh in a financial year; the TCS is adjustable against your income-tax liability. FX and the LRS declaration are handled by your bank when you fund your account.
Can I buy whole shares of Business First Bancshares?
Yes. One Business First Bancshares share is $30.41, and you can buy as many whole shares as you like. You can also buy by amount rather than by quantity: there is no minimum trade size, and Paasa supports fractional investing in Business First Bancshares.
How are gains on Business First Bancshares shares taxed in India?
The US does not levy capital gains tax on shares for Indian residents, so the tax is an India-side one. Gains on shares held for more than 24 months are long-term and taxed at 12.5%. Gains on shares held for 24 months or less are short-term and taxed at your income-tax slab rate. The gain is computed in rupees using the USD/INR rate on the purchase and the sale date, so the rupee move counts alongside the Business First Bancshares price. Paasa issues a capital-gains statement for your return.
Does Business First Bancshares pay a dividend, and how is it taxed in India?
Yes. Business First Bancshares pays a dividend and the current yield is 1.97%; the last declared dividend was $0.60 per share, about ₹57.64. Dividends are taxed at your slab rate in India. The US withholds tax on dividends paid to Indian residents at the treaty rate; Paasa files Form W-8BEN for you, and the tax withheld can generally be claimed as a credit in India. Paasa's dividend report lists the gross dividend and any tax withheld for each payment.
When can I trade Business First Bancshares from India?
NASDAQ trades 7:00 pm – 1:30 am IST in Indian time, so the close lands after midnight. The window shifts to 8:00 pm – 2:30 am IST when the US is on standard time. Orders can only execute during that window.
Is there estate or inheritance tax on Business First Bancshares shares held from India?
US-situs assets such as US-listed shares can be exposed to US estate tax for non-US persons. It applies to your overall holdings in that jurisdiction rather than to any one position. Paasa's US estate tax calculator shows the exposure for a given portfolio value.
Do I have to declare Business First Bancshares shares in my Indian tax return?
Yes. Foreign shares held on 31 March must be reported in Schedule FA of your Indian income-tax return. Paasa gives you a Schedule FA-ready statement listing your Business First Bancshares holding, its cost and its closing value.
How do I sell Business First Bancshares and bring the money back to India?
You sell during market hours (7:00 pm – 1:30 am IST) and the proceeds settle in USD in your Paasa account. From there you can hold the balance, reinvest, or repatriate. Funds can be withdrawn in any currency to any bank account in your own name. Whether the sale is short- or long-term is decided by the 24-month holding period.