Start here if you're new
what it is
It runs a regional bank, a wealth business, and a payments unit across 10 states.
how it gets paid
Last year First Busey made $720M in revenue. Banking was the main engine at $0.49B, or 68% of sales.
why it's growing
Revenue grew 55.7% last year. The $519M quarter mattered because it was 165% higher than last year.
what just happened
First Busey beat with $519M of revenue and $0.83 a share.
At a glance
B++ balance sheet — above average — nothing keeping you up at night
70/100 earnings predictability — reasonably predictable
21.2x trailing p/e — priced about right
4.2% dividend yield — cash in your pocket every quarter
$1.29 fy2025 eps est
xvary composite: 68/100 — average
What they do
It runs a regional bank, a wealth business, and a payments unit across 10 states.
79 banking centers and 1,509 employees is a small-footprint setup. Your deposits, advice, and bill pay sit together, so leaving means moving three relationships. Assets under care hit $15.66B, which gives the fee business a real second engine.
How they make money
$720M
annual revenue · their business grew +55.7% last year
Banking
$0.49B
Wealth Management
$0.13B
FirsTech
$0.07B
Corporate / other
$0.03B
The products that matter
spread-based lending revenue
Net Interest Income
$480M · 67% of revenue
This is the core business. It grew 8%, but it also leaves you tied to funding costs, loan pricing, and every Fed move that touches bank margins.
rate-sensitive core
advisory and asset-based fees
Wealth Management Fees
$168M · 23% of revenue
This is the cleaner story. Assets under care reached $15.7B after rising by $1.8B last year, and revenue here grew 12%.
fee engine
fees outside lending
Other Non-Interest Income
$72M · 10% of revenue
The page only gives you the top-line bucket. That honesty matters. At 10% of revenue, it helps diversify the model, but it does not drive the thesis.
supporting revenue
Key numbers
$720M
annual revenue
That is the top line you are underwriting. On 21.2x earnings, every 1% of sales matters.
$15.66B
assets under care
This is the fee base. Bigger assets mean more recurring advice revenue.
4.2%
dividend yield
You get paid while waiting. That cash return is a big part of the setup.
12%
debt share
Debt is 12% of capital, so the balance sheet is not stuffed with borrowed money.
Financial health
B++
strength
- balance sheet grade B++ — above average financial health
- risk rank 2 — safer than 80% of stocks
- price stability 75 / 100
- long-term debt $302M (12% of capital)
B++ — functional but not a standout on the balance sheet.
Total return vs. market
Return history isn't available for BUSE right now.
source: institutional data · return history unavailable
What just happened
beat estimates
First Busey beat with $519M of revenue and $0.83 a share.
Revenue was up 165% vs. prior year, and profit per share was up 43%. Gross margin was not provided in the source set.
$519M
revenue
$0.83
eps
n/a
n/a
revenue jump
The $519M quarter mattered because it was 165% higher than last year, which says the business got a lot bigger.
company earnings report, 2026
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What could go wrong
the top threat is net interest margin compression after rate cuts.
med
Net interest margin compression
Net interest income is $480M, or 67% of revenue. If rates move 100 basis points against Busey's spread, annual net interest income takes the hit first.
This is the most direct threat to earnings because the lending engine still pays most of the bills.
med
CrossFirst integration execution
The merger created a $20B bank and management is targeting $25M in annual cost saves. If customer attrition rises or expense saves slip, the acquisition math gets less attractive fast.
The upside case needs integration benefits to show up in actual profitability, not just slide-deck language.
med
Midwest credit concentration
You own a regional lender, not a diversified national balance sheet. If local business conditions weaken, loan demand and credit quality deteriorate at the same time.
That combination pressures both growth and loan-loss provisions in the same quarter.
med
Dividend cushion is thinner than the yield suggests
A 4.2% yield looks generous. The catch is the 86% earnings payout ratio. If earnings dip, flexibility shrinks before the headline yield does.
Income investors should watch coverage, not just the quarterly check.
67% of revenue comes from net interest income, while the dividend already uses 86% of earnings. If margin pressure arrives before fee income gets bigger, both profit quality and payout flexibility tighten.
source: institutional data · regulatory filings · risk analysis
Pay attention to
earnings
Q1 2026 earnings report
Expected April 27, 2026. Watch whether the EPS beat was a one-quarter event or the start of cleaner post-merger execution.
fees
wealth asset flows
Assets under care sit at $15.7B after a $1.8B increase last year. If that engine slows, the premium valuation gets harder to defend.
rates
net interest margin after Fed moves
Net interest income is 67% of revenue. You should care less about macro chatter and more about what rate changes do to spread income.
integration
CrossFirst cost saves
Management expects $25M in annual savings from the merger. The number that matters next is whether expenses start acting like it.
Analyst rankings
earnings predictability
70 / 100
Earnings are steadier than the average small-bank story. In human-speak: analysts think you are less likely to get blindsided here, but not immune.
risk rank
2
Risk rank 2 means safer than 80% of stocks in this dataset. That says something about stability, not cheapness.
source: institutional data
Institutional activity
institutional ownership data for BUSE is being compiled.
source: institutional data
Price targets
3-5 year target range
n/a
n/a
$27
current price
n/a
target midpoint · n/a from current
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