Framework Journal · one stock, one dated entry

Recorded 2026-07-19 · Permanent

Bank First Corporation logoBank First Corporation BFC

Outside both standards

An entry written while the outcome is still unknown. It will be scored by what the market does next, and it will never be edited to look cleverer than it was.

In plain words · Bank First Corporation operates as a holding company for Bank First, N.A.

The label
Markup

read at $146.63

Bank First Corporation holds its Markup at $146.63.

PHINPOOPSC
  • PHPhase · the trend structure carries the Markup label
  • INInsiders · no filings inside 60 days, left as found
  • POPositioning · no disclosures inside 60 days, left as found
  • OPOptions · no verdict drawn today, left as found
  • SCScreen · does not pass the values gate
  • edge confirmed
  • edge broken
  • edge forming

Each arm is one independent read. Conviction is not a single call, it is how many edges converge.

The investor read · the season, not the day

As held on the ledger · 2026-07-19
PhaseMarkup
Quantitative stateThe statistical read favours the sellers, held for 2 days
Price$146.63
Valuation20.42 trailing · 12.19 forward price to earnings
Values screenFAIL · score 30.0
Beta0.41

The opportunity · what the numbers say it is worth

Read at
$146.63
20.42 P/E · 12.19 fwd
Our fair value
$165.00
13% discount
Analyst target (avg)
$161.00
+10% to current
Target low $157.00Analyst target rangeTarget high $165.00
▲ current $146.63 · | average target

Price history & projections · where it has been, where the models see it going

$173$115$56TODAY5y agoPROJECTIONOur fair value$165.00 +14%Analyst high$165.00 +14%Analyst avg$161.00 +12%Conservative$141.30 -2%

The valuation journey · where the price sits against fair value and the Street

Current
$146.63
you are here
Conservative
$141.30
-4%
Analyst avg
$161.00
+10%
Our fair value
$165.00
+13%
Analyst high
$165.00
+13%

Green marks levels above today's price, red below; the shaded band is the gap between the price and our fair value.

Reading the gap · Both our model and the analysts see meaningful upside from here.

Revenue growth49.10%
Profit margin37.83%
Analyst consensusNone · 2 covering

Fair value and rating are our own model estimates; target range reflects third-party analyst estimates. Analysis, not advice.

The values screen, explained · five checks, plain English

This company is excluded by both standards. There are two widely recognised ways to check whether a company is suitable for a Muslim investor. It fails on both:

The common standard · AAOIFI
Used by most halal investing apps
✗ DOES NOT PASS
Our stricter standard · asset-based
The one Titan applies
✗ DOES NOT PASS

Why it fails. The problem is its prohibited keyword in sector/industry: bank. Because both standards agree on this, it is a clear exclusion, not a borderline case.

What these two standards are, and how they differ →

  • Business activity Prohibited keyword in sector/industry: bank Fail
  • Debt load Interest-bearing debt is of its assets, above the one-third ceiling the screen allows. Fail
  • Interest-bearing cash Interest-bearing cash and securities are of assets, above the one-third limit. Fail
  • Receivables Money owed to the company is of assets, above the 49% limit. Fail
  • Revenue purity of revenue comes from non-compliant sources, over the 5% line. Fail

Every security is read against two recognised standards: our stricter asset-based screen (ratios measured against total assets) and the more widely used market-value standard (measured against market capitalisation). Where they agree we say so plainly; where they part ways — almost always on the debt check — we show both readings and mark it, because that disagreement is the finding, not a fault. We report the score; you and your scholar make the call.

The business, in plain words · what the numbers mean

Local Wisconsin Bank Hits The Ethical Wall

Picture a Wisconsin borrower walking into a branch for a mortgage or business loan. The money moves through familiar regional channels that larger national players often overlook. Bank First shows rapid revenue growth at 49 percent alongside a 38 percent profit margin and trades at 12.2 times forward earnings with a modest 10 percent return on equity.

We pass because the ethical screen flags the banking sector outright. No amount of margin of safety above the current 146 dollar price or analyst targets near 161 dollars changes that rule. The unknown moat and low opportunity rating simply reinforce the decision to step aside.

Regional banks carry real cyclical exposure that can turn modest multiples into traps when credit conditions shift. Currency and sector screens exist for a reason here. Analysis, not advice.

The fundamentals · plain-English read
Forward P/E12.2x
cheap for a company growing this fast
Trailing P/E20.4x
a premium valuation
Revenue growth49.1%
growing very fast
Profit margin37.8%
highly profitable on every dollar of sales
Return on equity10.0%
a modest return on shareholder capital
Beta0.41
barely tracks the market's swings
Market cap$1.6B
Employees546

The risks · The things to watch: it's a small-cap, so the share price can swing harder than the market.

Plain-English interpretation of our own screen data. Analysis, not advice.

Related securities · others in BFC's space worth a look

Screened names in the same industry · explore each on its own page.

Where & how to trade · wherever in the world you are

BFC trades on Nasdaq. As a US-listed security it is accessible through almost any international broker offering US markets. New to this, or investing from outside the US? Our guide to accessing global markets covers brokers, currencies and the practical steps.

The trader read · the latest dated commentary

The framework reads markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved up 1.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 6% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bearish. Over the past year the shares are up 25%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 26%. The street (1 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $165. Entered 2026-07-22 · Markdown

The dated journal · newest first, never edited

2026-07-22 Markdown $146.63 +1.0% Entry 4

The framework reads markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved up 1.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 6% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bearish. Over the past year the shares are up 25%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 26%. The street (1 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $165.

2026-07-18 Markdown $145.16 +0.0% Entry 3

The framework reads markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns. Our composite framework grades it C, carrying a low risk profile. Technically it is holding around 6% above its long-term trend line with momentum reading bearish. Over the past year the shares are up 25%. Our forward projection puts the odds of a 10% gain over the next month near 26%. The street (1 analysts) rates it buy, with a mean price target of $165.

2026-07-03 Markdown $145.16 +0.0% Entry 2

The framework reads markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Price has moved down 0.0% since our last review. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.

2026-07-02 Markdown $145.16 Entry 1

The framework reads markdown. Price is trending lower. Sellers are in control and the prior trend has reversed. Ethical screening: FAIL. This security does not pass our values-based screening criteria. The risk-adjusted return profile shows excellent risk-adjusted returns.

Each entry above was written on its date, before the outcome. A journal you can prune is not a journal.

What holding actually paid · price plus dividends

If $1,000 had been placed · historical, not a promise
PeriodPrice thenPrice returnDivs per share$1,000 becameTotal return
1 month $144.51 -0.2% · $998 -0.2%
2 months $143.64 +0.4% · $1,004 +0.4%
3 months $134.22 +7.5% $0.50 $1,078 +7.8%
6 months $135.14 +6.7% $0.95 $1,074 +7.4%
1 year $115.04 +25.4% $1.85 $1,270 +27.0%
2 years $74.25 +94.3% $7.00 $2,037 +103.7%
3 years $80.17 +79.9% $8.25 $1,902 +90.2%
5 years $64.19 +124.7% $10.37 $2,409 +140.9%

Historical returns from market close data. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

This entry now belongs to the ledger. Whatever BFC does next, these words stay.

Bank First Corporation · BFC · Markup · $146.63
Recorded 2026-07-19 · before the outcome · scored mechanically

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