Bank First Completes Acquisition of Centre 1 Bancorp, Assets Reach $6 Billion
Bank First Corporation completed its acquisition of Centre 1 Bancorp. Effective immediately, Bank First is expanding its services to include trust and wealth management, integrating a skilled team from First National Bank and Trust. Customers now have access to a comprehensive suite of wealth planning, trust administration, and investment management services, provided by a team of professionals with deep expertise and a strong commitment to delivering personalized solutions. First National Bank and Trust will continue to operate as a division of Bank First until the planned system conversion in May 2026. At that time, all locations will transition to the unified Bank First brand and digital banking platform. Throughout this process, customers will continue to work with familiar local teams, ensuring personalized service and a smooth transition as we move forward together. The combined organization will operate 38 branch locations across Wisconsin and the Stateline area of Illinois, with approximately $6B in assets, strengthening its ability to serve individuals, businesses, and communities throughout the region.
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- Acquisition Scale: Bank First Corporation announced its plan to acquire PSB Holdings for approximately $202.9 million in an all-stock transaction, significantly expanding its market share and enhancing its competitive position in the financial services industry.
- Shareholder Exchange Rights: Under the terms of the agreement, each Peoples shareholder will have the right to receive 0.3470 of a share of Bank First's common stock for each share of Peoples common stock, providing shareholders with a direct opportunity for equity appreciation.
- Positive Market Reaction: Following the acquisition announcement, Bank First's stock price rose by 1.99% in premarket trading to $146.23, reflecting the market's positive outlook on the transaction and increased investor confidence.
- Strategic Integration Potential: This acquisition is expected to not only enhance Bank First's asset base but also improve operational efficiency through resource and customer base integration, thereby laying a solid foundation for future growth.
- Strategic Merger: Bank First has entered into a merger agreement with PSB Holdings valued at approximately $202.9 million, which is expected to enhance the market competitiveness and service capabilities of both banks, solidifying their community banking presence in Wisconsin.
- Asset Growth: Post-merger, Bank First will have over $7.6 billion in assets, with total loans around $5.64 billion and deposits approximately $6.27 billion, significantly enhancing its financial service capacity and potential to support individuals and businesses.
- Shareholder Value Enhancement: PSB Holdings shareholders are expected to receive over an 80% market premium, and by partnering with a publicly traded company with a long history of uninterrupted quarterly dividends, they will benefit from increased liquidity and investment appeal.
- Customer Service Expansion: The merger will allow customers of both banks to access a broader range of products and services, including advanced digital banking solutions and comprehensive treasury management services, thereby enhancing customer experience and satisfaction.
- Bank First Insider Purchase: Director Todd A. Sprang bought 450 shares of BFC at $138.96 each on Wednesday, totaling $62,532, indicating confidence in the company's future performance, with a 4% gain at the day's peak.
- Stock Performance: Currently, Bank First's stock is up about 1.8%, reflecting a positive market reaction to insider buying, which may bolster investor confidence in the company.
- NeOnc Purchase Details: President Amir F. Heshmatpour purchased 10,000 shares of NeOnc Technologies Holdings at $4.90 each for a total of $49,000 on Thursday, demonstrating optimism about the company's future prospects.
- Historical Investment Overview: Heshmatpour has made four prior purchases of NeOnc over the past year, totaling $469,008 at an average cost of $5.86 per share, despite the current 2.3% decline in stock price, indicating confidence in the company's long-term value.
- Dividend Increase: Bank First has declared a quarterly dividend increase from $0.50 to $0.55 per share, representing a 10% rise, which reflects the company's strong performance in maintaining profitability and cash flow, thereby boosting investor confidence.
- Yield Context: The forward yield of 1.54% may be relatively low, yet it still attracts investors seeking stable returns, indicating the company's competitive position among small-cap stocks despite the lower yield grade.
- Payment Details: The new dividend will be payable on July 8, with a record date of June 24 and an ex-dividend date also set for June 24, ensuring shareholders can promptly benefit from the dividend, which further strengthens shareholder relations.
- Financial Health: The dividend increase aligns with Bank First's historical earnings data, demonstrating the company's ongoing commitment to financial management and shareholder returns, which enhances its reputation and attractiveness in the market.
- Earnings Performance: Bank First Corp reported Q1 earnings of $19.99 million, translating to $1.78 per share, which, while lower than last year's $18.24 million and $1.82 per share, still indicates stable profitability.
- Adjusted Earnings: Excluding special items, the company posted adjusted earnings of $25.08 million or $2.24 per share, highlighting strong core business performance and improved profitability.
- Revenue Growth: The company's revenue surged by 47.8% year-over-year to $63.75 million from $43.13 million last year, reflecting robust market demand and successful business expansion.
- Market Outlook: Despite a slight decline in EPS, the strong revenue growth and improved adjusted earnings suggest that Bank First Corp has solid growth potential moving forward, which may attract more investor interest.
- Earnings Miss: Bank First's Q1 non-GAAP EPS of $2.24 fell short of estimates by $0.11, indicating pressure on profitability that could undermine investor confidence moving forward.
- Revenue Growth Lags: Although revenue surged 47.8% year-over-year to $63.7 million, it still missed expectations by $2 million, reflecting the impact of increased market competition and rising costs, which may hinder future growth prospects.
- Negative Stock Reaction: Following the earnings report, Bank First's shares dropped 1.92% in after-hours trading, signaling investor dissatisfaction with the results and potentially affecting the company's short-term market performance.
- Small-Cap Stock Analysis: Bank First is rated among the small-cap stocks with the lowest dividend yield, which may limit its appeal to income-seeking investors and exacerbate market concerns regarding its future performance.








