Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (SFST) AI Stock Analysis

Southern First Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Southern First Bank, offering banking products and services across South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Established in 1999 and headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, the company conducts operations through Commercial and Retail Banking, Mortgage Banking, and Corporate Operations segments. It offers deposit accounts such as checking, savings, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. Lending operations include commercial real estate, construction, business, and consumer installment loans. The bank also provides customer conveniences including internet and mobile banking, cash management, safe deposit boxes, and bill payment services.

Between FY2021 and FY2025, Southern First Bancshares recorded a 5-year revenue compound annual growth rate of 13.0%. Annual revenue expanded from $110.3M in FY2021 to $224.6M in FY2025, though net income shifted from $46.7M in FY2021 to $13.4M in FY2023 before recovering to $30.4M in FY2025. Operating margin was 55.1% in FY2021, fell to 9.3% in FY2023, and reached 17.6% in FY2025. Over the trailing twelve months, revenue totaled $128.8M with an operating margin of 44.0% and EPS of $4.64. For the latest quarter ended June 30, 2026, quarterly revenue rose 24.8% and quarterly earnings increased 48.1% year-over-year.

As of June 30, 2026, Southern First Bancshares held $174.5M in cash and short-term investments alongside total debt of $280.2M, resulting in net debt of $105.7M. Shareholders' equity stood at $452.3M, supporting total assets of $4.70B with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 27.12. In FY2025, operating cash flow was $30.5M and free cash flow was $29.9M, with capital expenditures of $581,000. Over a 5-year period, the share count grew 15.6%.

At a share price of $59.81 on October 16, 2026, Southern First Bancshares holds a market capitalization of $566.5M. The stock trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 12.9x, compared to 12.1x for the median of its US-listed Financial Services peers. Its forward P/E ratio is 18.6x, above the peer median of 10.8x, while its price-to-sales ratio of 4.4x exceeds the peer median of 3.2x. Over the past year, the stock returned 45.2%, outpacing the S&P 500 return of 16.8%, but its 5-year return of 10.8% trailed the index return of 83.0%.

Wall Street analysts covering the company include 1 Buy rating and 1 Hold rating, with no Strong Buy, Sell, or Strong Sell ratings. The mean price target is $68.50, representing 14.5% upside against the last close of $59.81. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, consensus estimates project revenue of $146.4M and EPS of $5.00, reflecting 33.3% EPS growth. Southern First Bancshares exceeded EPS estimates in 3 of the last 4 quarters, with its next earnings announcement scheduled for October 27, 2026.

This page is an AI-written research summary of Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (SFST). The text was generated on October 30, 2026 from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 (company profile, annual results, latest balance sheet, valuation, price performance and analyst estimates). An automatic check rejects any draft that contains a figure not found in that data. It is not investment advice; verify figures on the linked tabs before making decisions.

Related: SFST income statement, SFST balance sheet, SFST key metrics, SFST analyst forecast, SFST chart. See the SFST stock overview for the latest quote and news.