Understanding First Busey: Perspectives from Six Analyst Evaluations
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Aug 29 2025
0mins
Source: Benzinga
Analyst Ratings Overview for First Busey
- Recent Analyst Actions: Six analysts evaluated First Busey in the last quarter, showing a mix of bullish and bearish sentiments. The ratings over the last 30 days indicate a shift, with 4 analysts somewhat bullish, 2 indifferent, and no bearish ratings.
- Price Target Insights: The average 12-month price target is $27.5, with a high of $30.00 and a low of $25.00. This represents a 4.76% increase from the previous average of $26.25.
Detailed Analyst Evaluations
- Analyst Actions: Notable changes include Daniel Tamayo from Raymond James raising his target from $27.00 to $28.00, while Damon Delmonte from Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered his target from $30.00 to $29.00. Other analysts have also made adjustments, reflecting a dynamic view of the company's performance.
- Rating System: Analysts use qualitative ratings such as 'Outperform' and 'Neutral' to express expectations for First Busey's performance relative to the market.
Financial Performance Metrics
- Market Capitalization: First Busey boasts a market capitalization that exceeds industry averages, indicating strong market presence.
- Revenue Growth: The company reported a remarkable revenue growth rate of 70.38% as of June 30, 2025, significantly outperforming peers in the Financials sector.
- Profitability Challenges: First Busey's net margin stands at 23.94%, which is below industry standards, suggesting potential issues with cost management.
- Return Metrics: The company’s Return on Equity (ROE) is 2.06% and Return on Assets (ROA) is 0.25%, both below industry averages, indicating challenges in capital efficiency and asset utilization.
- Debt Management: With a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, First Busey demonstrates a conservative approach to debt, suggesting a balanced financial strategy.
Understanding Analyst Ratings
- Role of Analysts: Analysts specialize in evaluating stocks and sectors, providing ratings based on comprehensive research, including financial statements and market conditions. Their insights can guide investors, although they are ultimately subjective opinions.
Market Outlook
- Future Potential: An analyst from Benzinga has identified a stock with potential for explosive growth, suggesting that significant market shifts could lead to substantial returns for investors.
Company Overview
- About First Busey: First Busey Corporation operates as a financial holding company, offering a range of banking services across several states, with a primary focus on retail and commercial banking.
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Analyst Views on BUSE
Wall Street analysts forecast BUSE stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for BUSE is 26.33 USD with a low forecast of 24.00 USD and a high forecast of 29.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
3 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 24.390
Low
24.00
Averages
26.33
High
29.00
Current: 24.390
Low
24.00
Averages
26.33
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.
First Busey Corp Reports Strong Q4 Earnings Beat
- 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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First Busey Corp. Reports Q3 Profit Growth, Surpassing Expectations
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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