STOCK TITAN

Business First Bancshares (BFST) director sells 10,000 shares

(Moderate)
(Negative)
Form Type
4

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Business First Bancshares, Inc. (BFST) director George W. Cummings III reported selling 10,000 shares of common stock on August 18, 2026 at $31.78 per share in an open-market or private transaction. After this sale, he directly holds 201,180 common shares, plus 998 unvested restricted stock units that are economically equivalent to common shares and scheduled to fully vest on June 25, 2027, and indirectly holds 3,911 common shares through his spouse.

Positive

  • None.

Negative

  • None.
Insider Cummings George W. III
Role Director
Sold 10,000 shs ($318K)
Type Security Shares Price Value
Sale COMMON STOCK 10,000 $31.78 $318K
holding Restricted Stock Units F1 -- -- --
holding COMMON STOCK -- -- --
Holdings After Transaction: COMMON STOCK — 201,180 shares (Direct); Restricted Stock Units — 998 shares (Direct); COMMON STOCK — 3,911 shares (Indirect, By Spouse)
Footnotes (1)
  1. F1. The time-based restricted stock units were granted to the reporting person on June 25, 2026, under the Business First Bancshares, Inc. 2024 Equity Incentive Plan. The time-based restricted stock units will fully vest on June 25, 2027. Each time-based restricted stock unit is economically equivalent to one share of common stock of the issuer. Under the terms of the relevant restricted stock unit grant, the reported unvested restricted stock units are subject to forfeiture upon the occurrence of certain events.
Shares sold 10,000 shares Common stock sale on August 18, 2026
Sale price $31.78 per share Price for 10,000 BFST common shares sold
Direct common shares after sale 201,180 shares Direct BFST common stock holdings following transaction
Unvested RSUs underlying shares 998 shares Restricted stock units economically equivalent to BFST common stock
Indirect common shares 3,911 shares BFST common stock held indirectly by spouse
RSU exercise price $0.00 Exercise price for restricted stock units
Restricted Stock Units financial
"The time-based restricted stock units were granted to the reporting person"
Restricted stock units are a type of company reward where employees are promised shares of stock, but they only fully own these shares after meeting certain conditions, like staying with the company for a set time. They matter because they can become valuable assets and are often used to motivate employees to help the company succeed.
time-based restricted stock units financial
"The time-based restricted stock units will fully vest on June 25, 2027"
Time-based restricted stock units are a form of employee compensation where individuals are granted company shares that are earned over a set period, often as a reward for staying with the company. These shares typically become fully owned and transferable only after passing specific time milestones, encouraging long-term commitment. For investors, they highlight a company's focus on employee retention and can influence future stock supply and company stability.
economically equivalent financial
"Each time-based restricted stock unit is economically equivalent to one share"
Equity Incentive Plan financial
"under the Business First Bancshares, Inc. 2024 Equity Incentive Plan"
An equity incentive plan is a program that gives employees, executives or directors the right to receive company stock or options to buy stock as part of their pay. Think of it as offering slices of future company profit to motivate people to boost long‑term performance; for investors it matters because it can align employee goals with shareholder value but also increases the number of shares outstanding, which can dilute existing ownership.

FAQ

What insider transaction did BFST director George W. Cummings III report?

George W. Cummings III reported selling 10,000 BFST common shares on August 18, 2026 at $31.78 per share. The transaction is characterized as a sale in an open-market or private transaction and reduces, but does not eliminate, his direct equity position.

How many BFST shares does George W. Cummings III own after the reported sale?

After the sale, George W. Cummings III directly owns 201,180 BFST common shares. He also holds 998 unvested restricted stock units tied to BFST common stock and indirectly holds 3,911 common shares through his spouse, reflecting his remaining reported equity interest.

At what price did George W. Cummings III sell BFST shares on August 18, 2026?

He sold BFST common stock at a price of $31.78 per share. The Form 4 describes this as a sale in an open-market or private transaction, covering 10,000 shares of Business First Bancshares, Inc. common stock on that date.

Does George W. Cummings III have any indirect ownership of BFST shares?

Yes. In addition to his direct holdings, he indirectly owns 3,911 BFST common shares through his spouse. This indirect ownership is reported separately from his direct common stock and restricted stock unit positions in the Form 4 filing.

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SEC Form 4
FORM 4UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number:3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:0.5
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
Cummings George W. III

(Last)(First)(Middle)
500 LAUREL STREET, SUITE 101

(Street)
BATON ROUGE LOUISIANA 70801

(City)(State)(Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Business First Bancshares, Inc. [ BFST ]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
XDirector10% Owner
Officer (give title below)Other (specify below)
2a. Foreign Trading Symbol
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
08/18/2026
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
XForm filed by One Reporting Person
Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
CodeVAmount(A) or (D)Price
COMMON STOCK08/18/2026S10,000D$31.78201,180D
COMMON STOCK3,911IBy Spouse
Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
CodeV(A)(D)Date ExercisableExpiration DateTitleAmount or Number of Shares
Restricted Stock Units$0.0000 (1) (1)Common Stock998998D
Explanation of Responses:
1. The time-based restricted stock units were granted to the reporting person on June 25, 2026, under the Business First Bancshares, Inc. 2024 Equity Incentive Plan. The time-based restricted stock units will fully vest on June 25, 2027. Each time-based restricted stock unit is economically equivalent to one share of common stock of the issuer. Under the terms of the relevant restricted stock unit grant, the reported unvested restricted stock units are subject to forfeiture upon the occurrence of certain events.
/s/ Heather Roemer, as attorney-in-fact for George W. Cummings III08/19/2026
** Signature of Reporting PersonDate
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)