Should I Buy SFST? SFST 2026 Analysis

Should You Buy Southern First Bancshares Inc (SFST) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Conclusion

Hold

Latest Price

54.660

1 Day change

1.79%

52 Week Range

58.770

Analysis Updated At

2026/01/26

Southern First Bancshares Inc (SFST) is not a strong buy at the moment for a beginner investor with a long-term strategy. While the company has shown strong financial performance in Q4 2025, the technical indicators and options data do not suggest a compelling entry point right now. Additionally, the lack of significant trading trends, neutral sentiment from insiders and hedge funds, and no recent congress trading data further support a hold recommendation.

Technical Analysis

The MACD is positive but contracting, indicating a weakening bullish momentum. RSI is neutral at 45.334, and moving averages are bullish (SMA_5 > SMA_20 > SMA_200). However, the stock is trading near the pivot level (54.342), with resistance at 57.841 and support at 50.843. Overall, the technical indicators suggest no strong buy signal.

Options Data

Bearish

Open Interest Put-Call Ratio

Bullish

Option Volume Put-Call Ratio

The high open interest put-call ratio indicates bearish sentiment in the options market. Additionally, there is no significant call or put volume today, suggesting low activity and interest in the stock.

Technical Summary

Sell

Buy

Positive Catalysts

Strong Q4 2025 financial performance with net income up 75.17% YoY and revenue up 28.29% YoY.
Increased net interest income driven by loan growth.
Improved risk-based capital ratio to 12.89%.

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

Nonperforming assets increased to 0.32% of total assets, up from 0.27% in Q
Stock trend analysis indicates a potential -7.53% decline in the next month.
Neutral sentiment from hedge funds and insiders, with no significant trading trends.

Financial Performance

In Q4 2025, Southern First Bancshares reported revenue of $29.5M, up 28.29% YoY. Net income rose to $9.9M, a 75.17% YoY increase, and EPS increased to 1.21, up 75.36% YoY. The company also improved its risk-based capital ratio to 12.89%. However, nonperforming assets increased slightly to 0.32% of total assets.

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

No recent analyst rating or price target changes available for SFST.

Analyst Rating

Wall Street analysts forecast SFST stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for SFST is 0 USD with a low forecast of 0 USD and a high forecast of 0 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.

Buy

Hold

Sell

Current: 53.700

Low

Averages

High

Current: 53.700

Low

Averages

High

Piper Sandler

Stephen Scouten

Overweight

upgrade

$43 -> $51

AI Analysis

2025-07-23

Reason

Piper Sandler

Stephen Scouten

Price Target

$43 -> $51

AI Analysis

2025-07-23

upgrade

Overweight

Reason

Piper Sandler analyst Stephen Scouten raised the firm's price target on Southern First Bancshares to $51 from $43 and keeps an Overweight rating on the shares. The firm notes the company reported strong Q2 results, characterized by robust revenue growth on 9 bps of net interest margin expansion, 6.8% loan growth, and 11.4% AEA growth.

Piper Sandler

Overweight

initiated

$43

2025-06-10

Reason

Piper Sandler

Price Target

$43

2025-06-10

initiated

Overweight

Reason

Piper Sandler assumed coverage of Southern First Bancshares with an Overweight rating and $43 price target. Southern First has had "significant struggles" over the past two years as the bank was structured to thrive in a zero rate environment, the analyst tells investors in a research note. Piper believes that "now that the pain has been endured," the company is on a path to an improved balance sheet construction, while also benefiting from fixed rate loan re-pricings and a liability-sensitive balance sheet as rates eventually decline.

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SFST Should I Buy

SFST Should I Buy

Should You Buy Southern First Bancshares Inc (SFST) Today? Analysis, Price Targets, and 2026 Outlook.

Technical Analysis

Options Data

Technical Summary

Positive Catalysts

Neutral/Negative Catalysts

Financial Performance

Growth

Profitability

Efficiency

Analyst Ratings and Price Target Trends

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