How profitable is Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST)?

In FY 2025 (10-K), SFST converted $1.8B of revenue into a 52% gross margin, 0% operating margin, and $29.9M in free cash flow (1.6% FCF margin).

Stock Ratings / Financials / SFST / financials

BWB (52) BWFG (65) UNTY (63) BSVN (71) ⌘ Pro Terminal →

Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) Revenue-to-Profit Sankey Flow & SEC XBRL Financials

$61.01 +2.40% NASDAQ • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $61.16

Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) carries a Roarable Rating of C- (Hold) with 59/100 RQD Confidence. The composite score sits in the neutral Hold band (59–69), meaning current holders don’t need to panic-sell while prospective buyers can wait for a move into the 70+ Buy zone.

ROARABLE C- • HOLD / WATCH Cap $579.0M

📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card

⚡ INSTANT AI QUANT PREVIEW • $0 FREE TIER Click Any Pre-Computed AI Quant Specialist Briefing on SFST Below — or Connect Your Own ChatGPT / Claude

🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is SFST stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

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As of 2026-11-03, Southern First Bancshares Inc. (NASDAQ: SFST) is rated C- (Hold / HOLD) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 59/100 at a spot price of $61.01 (+2.40% 1D, market cap $579.0M). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 11/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 8/20, SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 13/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 13/20, and Executive Insider Alignment 14/20. Across 1097 tracked Financials issuers, SFST ranks #430 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does SFST compare to BWB and BWFG in the Financials sector?

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Within the Financials sector (Major Banks), SFST carries a Roarable C- (59/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 19.0x, gross margin of —, and ROIC of 8.2%. By comparison, BWB (Bridgewater Bancshares Inc.) holds a D+ grade (52/100 RQD, P/E 12.3x, ROIC 8.9%, cap $577.7M) and BWFG (Bankwell Financial Group Inc.) posts a C grade (65/100 RQD, P/E 15.8x, ROIC 11.7%, cap $581.5M). Among the 5-stock peer group, UNTY leads on earnings multiple (10.1x) while BSVN leads on capital efficiency (17.2% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for SFST?

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Per SFST's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0001090009), Southern First Bancshares Inc. generated $1.85B in revenue (+7.7% YoY), $30.4M in net income, and $29.9M in free cash flow against $4.40B in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Company leadership has skin in the game with net positive insider conviction. Primary risk factors monitored: Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief

🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).

INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:

🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray

EXT / AFTER-HRS: $61.16 (+0.24%)🧬 Cannibal Buyback (-1.80% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 11/20 (D+) • 1.6% FCF Margin

Verify 90D Bucket Audit →

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 59/100 (C-) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (+0.2% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 53.1% hit rate — wait for RQD ≥ 70 breakout).

Audit Bucket Track Record →

RQD QUANT TACHOMETERHOLD / WATCH • C-

Quant Analyst Panel Split (Battleground)

Cash

SEC

Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR RQD RADARRw D+ · Rk C

Each axis scored 0–20

12M PRICE TARGET CONE+0.4% Base Target

WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for SFST)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±4.9%

Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (59/100 Composite)

🔍 WHY SFST SCORES 59/100 (C-) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag

▲ #1 Bullish Driver: Insider Conviction & Share Dilution+14/20 pts (24% of score)

SEC Form 4 / 13F Thermometer: 70% Net Buy • Cannibal Buyback (-1.80% YoY Shares)

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: SEC 10-K Forensic Risk+13/20 pts (22% of score)

Altman Z-Score 3.80 (FORTRESS SAFE (>3.0)) • Piotroski F-Score 5/9

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Whale & Options Positioning8/20 pts (-12 pt drag)

Put hedging (50% put share) caps near-term gamma upside (-12 pts vs max)

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current

Q1 (-3Q)

Grade C-$59.22+1.4% Next Q

Q2 (-2Q)

Grade C-$60.07+1.5% Next Q

Q3 (-1Q)

Grade C$60.98+0% Next Q

Current

Grade C-$61.01+0.2% Hist 90D α

Trajectory: C- (51) → C- (59)Full Audit →

⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)GIDEON ASHMERE // FORENSIC SHORT & KILL-SWITCH DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the SFST Bull Thesis Could Fail

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

Even with a 59/100 (C-) score, SFST faces multiple-compression risk if 19.0x trailing P/E re-rate toward historical sector medians or if hyperscaler/enterprise customer concentration slows in upcoming 10-Q filings.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #1

Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #2

Dilution & Margin Drag: Cannibal Buyback (-1.80% YoY Shares) — any gross margin slip below 49.5% triggers an automatic RQD downgrade.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #3

Technical & Forensic Kill-Switch: A daily close below the 50D SMA ($61.01) or 200D SMA ($58.94) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($61.28) toward Bear Floor ($47.80).

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $SFST• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite

Contract: “SFST Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Dec 30, 2026) & Holds Above 200D SMA”

YES 59%NO 41%Trade / Inspect Odds →

VISUAL REVENUE-TO-PROFIT SANKEY WATERFALL • FY 2025 (10-K)

How SFST Turns Every Dollar of Sales Into Real Bottom-Line Profit

Free Cash Flow:$29.9M (1.6% FCF Margin)

Multi-Year SEC EDGAR XBRL Revenue, Net Profit & Free Cash Flow Trajectory

■ Revenue■ Net Profit■ Free Cash Flow

FY23

Rev $101.6M

FY24

Rev $1.72B

FY25

Rev $1.85B

Fiscal Year	Revenue	Gross Margin	Op Margin	Net Profit	Free Cash Flow	ROIC %
FY 2025	$1.85B	52%	0%	$30.4M	$29.9M	8.2%
FY 2024	$1.72B	52%	0%	$15.5M	$24.8M	8.2%
FY 2023	$101.6M	44.4%	0%	$13.4M	$17.7M	8.2%

ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher & Roarable Forensic Quant Desk

Red-Light Warning Desk: Spotting SEC Cash-Flow & Dilution Risks Before Downgrades (Featuring SFST)

✓Walkthrough of SFST's RQD Radar, SEC cash-conversion gap & downside invalidation levels
✓3 asymmetric Bear/Hedge frameworks when 10-year Treasury yields stay elevated
✓Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on your tracked stocks

RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED

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SFST // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: +7.53%📐 WEDGE COMPRESSION COIL

2026-11-04O $59.58H $61.01L $59.58C $61.01VOL 89.6K

RES: $62.14SUP: $59.09SMA50: $61.01SMA200: $58.94

PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

SFST Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

🦋 SFST Butterfly Map → + Track SFST →

Share Count & Dilution Monitor

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle

12.4%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. +7.7% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on SFST today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for SFST. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video

🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for SFST today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →

DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (SFST)

Financials Rank #430 of 1097 ⚔️ BWB vs SFST Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Financials Peer Comparison (SFST vs. BWB, BWFG, UNTY, BSVN)

Industry: Major Banks (248 Tracked Issuers)

Across 1097 tracked Financials securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) ranks #430 by composite RQD confidence (59/100, grade C-) and #671 by equity capitalization ($579.0M). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, UNTY leads on earnings valuation at 10.1x trailing P/E, while BSVN leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 17.2% ROIC and — gross margin. BSVN currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 71/100 (B-) compared with SFST at 59/100 (C-).

Ticker / Company	Roarable Grade	RQD Score	Trailing P/E	Gross Margin	ROIC	1D Change	Market Cap	Head-to-Head
SFST ACTIVE Southern First Bancshares Inc.	C-	59/100	19.0x	—	8.2%	+2.40%	$579.0M	Benchmark Subject
BWB Bridgewater Bancshares Inc.	D+	52/100	12.3x	—	8.9%	+2.03%	$577.7M	/bwb-vs-sfst →
BWFG Bankwell Financial Group Inc.	C	65/100	15.8x	—	11.7%	+2.40%	$581.5M	/bwfg-vs-sfst →
UNTY Unity Bancorp Inc.	C	63/100	10.1x	—	16.8%	+2.77%	$591.5M	/unty-vs-sfst →
BSVN Bank7 Corp.	B-	71/100	13.1x	—	17.2%	+0.02%	$558.6M	/bsvn-vs-sfst →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-12-31 • CIK 0001090009 ↗

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31), Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) reported GAAP revenue of $1.85B (+7.7% vs. FY2024 revenue of $1.72B , and +1720.7% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of $30.4M, operating cash flow of $30.5M, and free cash flow of $29.9M (+20.6% YoY). On the balance sheet, SFST closed FY2025 with $4.40B in total assets against $0 in total debt (Altman Z-Score: N/A, Piotroski F-Score: 5/9).

Fiscal Period	Filing Date	Revenue	Net Income	Operating Cash Flow	Free Cash Flow	Total Assets	Total Debt
FY2025 (FY)	2025-12-31	$1.85B	$30.4M	$30.5M	$29.9M	$4.40B	—
FY2024 (FY)	2024-12-31	$1.72B	$15.5M	$25.6M	$24.8M	$4.09B	—
FY2023 (FY)	2023-12-31	$101.6M	$13.4M	$17.7M	$17.7M	—	—

3. SFST Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is SFST stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

How does SFST compare to BWB and BWFG in the Financials sector?

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for SFST?

Where is SFST trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

SFST last traded at $61.01 (+2.40% on volume of 89,620 shares), positioning the stock 0.00% above its 50-day simple moving average ($61.01) and +3.51% above its 200-day simple moving average ($58.94). Across its 52-week range of $43.70 to $65.09, SFST sits at the 80.9% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 52.2 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±4.9% ($58.02 to $64.00).

Direct Sub-Reports: SFST RQD Cockpit SFST 12M Forecast SFST Earnings & Move SFST Dividends & DRIP SFST Insiders & 13F SFST Whale Options SFST Profit Sankey SFST News & Why

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF • RQD 59/100 (C-) ✓ SEC XBRL & RQD VERIFIED

SFST — Southern First Bancshares Inc.: What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Methodology: RQD v6.2 Deterministic 5-Pillar & SEC XBRL Audit

Updated: 2025-12-31

1. Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) earns a live Roarable RQD composite score of 59/100, corresponding to a C- letter grade (Roarable Hold) at a spot price of $61.01 (+2.40% 1D, market capitalization $579.0M).

Fundamental Cash Engine (11/20): Anchored by return on invested capital (ROIC) of 8.2%, gross margin of —, operating margin of —, and free cash flow yield of 5.18%.
Whale 13F & Options Flow (8/20) + Insider Conviction (14/20): Tracks institutional 13F accumulation, CBOE options call/put positioning, and SEC Form 4 / Congressional PTR filings.
Macro Regime Fit (13/20) + Forensic Balance Sheet (13/20): Incorporates a 1.00x equity beta, Altman Z-Score of N/A, Piotroski F-Score of 5/9, and Debt/Equity of N/A.

2. Business Model, Unit Margins & SEC Financial Trajectory

Southern First Bancshares Inc. Is a NASDAQ-listed issuer in the Financials sector, operating in the Major Banks industry..6B.

In its latest audited SEC EDGAR 10-K filing for FY2025 (filed 2025-12-31), Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) reported $1.85B in annual revenue (up from $1.72B in FY2024, +7.7% YoY) and $30.4M in GAAP net income. Over the multi-year SEC filing window from FY2023 ($101.6M revenue, $13.4M net income) through FY2025, SFST scaled operating cash flow to $30.5M and free cash flow to $29.9M, backed by $4.40B in total assets against $0 in total debt.

3. Institutional Bull vs. Bear Thesis & Valuation Tradeoff

🐂 Primary Bull Case (C- • RQD 59/100): Company leadership has skin in the game with net positive insider conviction. Free cash flow yield of 5.18% and institutional whale pillar of 8/20. With Fundamental Cash Engine at 11/20 and Institutional Whale Flow at 8/20, sustained execution supports upside toward the upper end of the $43.70 – $65.09 52-week range.
🐻 Primary Bear Case & Valuation Risk: Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run. Investors must weigh 19.0x trailing P/E against — operating margins and a 1.00x macro beta.

4. 2nd-Order Butterfly Ripples & Key Questions to Watch

Operating in Major Banks (Financials), SFST carries a macro regime beta of 1.00 and gross margin of —.

Key Question #1: Can SFST sustain or expand its — operating margin and 8.2% ROIC against Major Banks peers over the next 4 quarters?
Key Question #2: Following FY2025 revenue of $1.85B and free cash flow of $29.9M, how will capital allocation balance growth reinvestment against $0 in total debt?
Key Question #3: How sensitive is SFST's 17.7x forward P/E multiple to Financials capital spending cycles and macro interest-rate shifts (Beta 1.00x)?

SFST Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below

💬 Jump to SFST Debate Forum (3) ↓

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 1d ago

Southern First Bancshares (SFST) Stock Climbs On Q3 Earnings Strength

Yahoo Finance report covering Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE KTVB • 1d ago

Southern First: Q3 Earnings Snapshot

KTVB report covering Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 1d ago

Compared to Estimates, Southern First (SFST) Q3 Earnings: A Look at Key Metrics

Yahoo Finance report covering Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE marketscreener.com • 2d ago

Southern First Bancshares, Inc. Reports Earnings Results for the Third Quarter Ended September 30, 2026

marketscreener.com report covering Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🔴 RISK WATCH Simply Wall St • 2d ago

Southern First Bancshares (SFST) Stock Climbs On Strong Q3 Earnings Execution

Simply Wall St report covering Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE MarketBeat • 2d ago

Southern First Bancshares (NASDAQ:SFST) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

MarketBeat report covering Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE TradingView • 2d ago

Southern First Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results

TradingView report covering Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🟡 MARKET WIRE Yahoo Finance • 2d ago

Southern First (SFST) Q3 Earnings Surpass Estimates

Yahoo Finance report covering Southern First Bancshares Inc. (SFST) market action, institutional positioning, and fundamental catalysts.

Read Full Source ↗

🔥 THE ROAR PIT • LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

SFST Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $61.01?

🐂 67% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON SFST 🐻 33% BEARISH CONVICTION

CA CashFlowKing RQD DEBATE OPENER • FCF Compounder Hunter 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $70.30 (+18.0%)

📌 Pinned Debate

Net income more than doubled from $15.5M in FY 2024 to $30.4M in FY 2025 while the stock trades at a 17.7 forward P/E.

Here is why I am bullish on SFST here at $59.58: Net income more than doubled from $15.5M in FY 2024 to $30.4M in FY 2025 while the stock trades at a 17.7 forward P/E.. Compare SFST's 0.0% operating margin and 8.2% ROIC against the rest of Major Banks. As long as cash conversion holds up, dips toward $56.60 are getting bought.

EarningsSniper 🐂 BULL

@ShortSeller_Dan Shorting a 8/20 institutional whale-flow stock at $59.58 is dangerous when funds are rotating into Financials.

SH ShortSeller_Dan RQD DEBATE OPENER • Forensic Short Bias 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $45.28 (-24.0%)

Spot @ $59.58

The RQD rating is only a C- with the whale-flow pillar at 10 of 20 and no dividend yield, and the Simply Wall St item carries a RED RIS

Sitting on the sidelines or leaning short SFST above $59.58. The RQD rating is only a C- with the whale-flow pillar at 10 of 20 and no dividend yield, and the Simply Wall St item carries a RED RISK WATCH flag.. Until Fundamental Cash Engine (11/20) and FCF yield (5.18%) inflect higher, upside is capped near $65.09.