First Busey Reports Q1 Adjusted Earnings Growth
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 28 2026
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Should l Buy BUSE?
Source: Yahoo Finance
- Earnings Growth: First Busey reported Q1 adjusted earnings of $0.67 per diluted share, a significant increase from $0.00 in the same period last year, indicating robust performance and improved profitability.
- Market Reaction: This earnings growth may bolster investor confidence in First Busey, potentially driving its stock price higher and solidifying its position in the financial services sector.
- Business Strategy: The company successfully enhanced profitability through operational optimization and cost control measures, demonstrating its agility in a competitive market environment.
- Future Outlook: With economic recovery and rising interest rates, First Busey is poised to continue achieving earnings growth in the coming quarters, further strengthening its market competitiveness.
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Analyst Views on BUSE
Wall Street analysts forecast BUSE stock price to rise
2 Analyst Rating
1 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 26.590
Low
27.00
Averages
28.00
High
29.00
Current: 26.590
Low
27.00
Averages
28.00
High
29.00
About BUSE
First Busey Corporation is a financial holding company. Its segments include Banking, Wealth Management and FirsTech. Banking segment provides a full range of banking services to individual and corporate customers through its wholly-owned bank subsidiary, Busey Bank. CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc. is also a wholly-owned bank subsidiary of the Company. Wealth Management segment provides a full range of asset management, investment, brokerage, fiduciary, philanthropic advisory, tax preparation, and farm management services to individuals, businesses, and foundations. Wealth management services to individuals include trust and estate advisory services and financial planning; businesses include business succession planning and employee retirement plan services, and foundations include investment strategy consulting and fiduciary services. FirsTech segment provides payment technology solutions and also provides additional tools to help clients with billing, reconciliation and others.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Earnings Performance: First Busey reported a Q1 Non-GAAP EPS of $0.67, exceeding market expectations by $0.09, indicating a sustained improvement in profitability that may attract more investor interest.
- Significant Revenue Growth: The company achieved revenues of $197.17 million in Q1, reflecting a 40.1% year-over-year increase, demonstrating strong business expansion and market demand, which further solidifies its position in the financial services sector.
- Dividend Attractiveness Analysis: While First Busey's preferred shares offer high yields, they are perceived as overpriced by the market, which may influence investor purchasing decisions, necessitating close attention to future dividend policy changes.
- Quant Rating Focus: Seeking Alpha's quant rating on First Busey highlights its financial health, prompting investors to closely monitor historical earnings data and future financial performance to make more informed investment choices.
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- Earnings Growth: First Busey reported Q1 adjusted earnings of $0.67 per diluted share, a significant increase from $0.00 in the same period last year, indicating robust performance and improved profitability.
- Market Reaction: This earnings growth may bolster investor confidence in First Busey, potentially driving its stock price higher and solidifying its position in the financial services sector.
- Business Strategy: The company successfully enhanced profitability through operational optimization and cost control measures, demonstrating its agility in a competitive market environment.
- Future Outlook: With economic recovery and rising interest rates, First Busey is poised to continue achieving earnings growth in the coming quarters, further strengthening its market competitiveness.
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- Profitability Improvement: First Busey reported a net income of $50 million for Q1 2026, with adjusted EPS of $0.67, reflecting a 17.5% year-over-year increase, which significantly boosts investor confidence in the company's financial health.
- Return on Assets Enhancement: The adjusted return on average assets (ROAA) improved to 1.42%, up 33 basis points year-over-year, indicating effective asset management strategies that strengthen the company's market position.
- Effective Cost Control: The efficiency ratio improved by 390 basis points to 54.8% due to synergies from the CrossFirst acquisition, demonstrating significant success in cost management that enhances overall profitability.
- Strong Capital Adequacy: As of March 31, 2026, the Common Equity Tier 1 Capital to Risk Weighted Assets ratio stood at 12.31%, maintaining robust capital levels even after $65.6 million in share repurchases, providing a solid foundation for future growth.
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- Preferred Stock Performance: First Busey Corp's RPRSTG 8.25% Fixed Rate Series B Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (Ticker: BUSEP) is trading flat on Monday, indicating market confidence in its stability.
- Common Stock Dynamics: In contrast, the common shares (Ticker: BUSE) are down approximately 0.1%, reflecting a cautious market sentiment that could impact overall investor confidence.
- Dividend History: The historical dividend payments of this preferred stock demonstrate its stable income characteristics, attracting fixed-income investors and enhancing its appeal in the preferred stock market.
- Market Perspective: Despite fluctuations in the common stock's performance, the stability of the preferred shares may position them as a preferred choice for investors in uncertain market conditions, particularly within yield-seeking investment strategies.
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- Significant Profit Growth: First Busey Corp's Q4 net income reached $56.16 million, with earnings per share (EPS) of $0.63, a substantial increase from last year's $28.11 million and $0.49 EPS, indicating a marked improvement in profitability.
- Adjusted Earnings Exceed Expectations: Excluding special items, the company reported adjusted earnings of $60.60 million, or $0.68 per share, surpassing analysts' expectations of $0.62, reflecting strong performance in its core business operations.
- Revenue Surge: The company's Q4 revenue rose 71.4% year-over-year to $200.25 million, up from $116.80 million last year, demonstrating a robust recovery in market demand and sales.
- Increased Market Confidence: The earnings beat has bolstered investor confidence in First Busey Corp, potentially leading to positive impacts on its future stock performance.
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Third Quarter Profit: First Busey Corp. reported a third-quarter profit of $51.97 million, or $0.58 per share, an increase from $32.00 million, or $0.55 per share, in the previous year.
Adjusted Earnings: The company’s adjusted earnings for the period were $57.37 million, or $0.64 per share, surpassing analysts' expectations of $0.62 per share.
Revenue Growth: First Busey Corp. experienced a significant revenue increase of 67.1%, reaching $197.32 million compared to $118.08 million last year.
Earnings Summary: Key earnings figures include $51.97 million in earnings, $0.58 EPS, and $197.32 million in revenue, all showing positive growth compared to the previous year.
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