<div id="readability-page-1"><p>Shares of Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFST - Get Free Report) crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $48.35 and traded as high as $54.47. Southern First Bancshares shares last traded at $53.19, with a volume of 46,945 shares traded.</p><h2>Wall Street Analyst Weigh In</h2><p>A number of research analysts recently weighed in on SFST shares. Wall Street Zen raised Southern First Bancshares from a &#34;hold&#34; rating to a &#34;buy&#34; rating in a research note on Sunday, November 30th. Weiss Ratings  restated a &#34;hold (c+)&#34; rating on shares of Southern First Bancshares in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Southern First Bancshares from a &#34;hold&#34; rating to a &#34;strong-buy&#34; rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. One analyst  has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one  has issued  a Buy rating and one  has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock  has an average rating of &#34;Buy&#34; and an average price target of $51.00.</p><p><b>Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Southern First Bancshares</b></p><h2>Southern First Bancshares Price Performance</h2><p>The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.10. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $48.35 and a 200-day simple moving average of $43.99. The firm has a market cap of $435.63 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.47 and a beta of 0.76. </p><p>Southern First Bancshares (NASDAQ:SFST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The bank reported $1.07 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.89 by $0.18. Southern First Bancshares had a return on equity of 7.63% and a net margin of 11.83%.The firm had revenue of $31.13 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $30.20 million.  Equities research analysts expect that  Southern First Bancshares, Inc. will post 1.85 earnings per share for the current year. </p><h2>Insider Buying and Selling</h2><p>In other news, Director David G. Ellison sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $53.28, for a total value of $53,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 49,661 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,645,938.08. This represents a 1.97% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In the last ninety days, insiders have bought 525 shares of company stock valued at $23,011. Company insiders own  7.06% of the company's stock. </p><h2>Institutional Investors Weigh In On Southern First Bancshares</h2><p>A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SFST. Nuveen LLC bought a new stake in shares of  Southern First Bancshares during the 1st quarter valued at $616,000.  American Century Companies Inc. grew its holdings in  Southern First Bancshares by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 101,461 shares of the bank's stock valued at $3,340,000 after buying an additional 3,902 shares in the last quarter.  Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in shares of  Southern First Bancshares by 44.8% during the first quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 8,535 shares of the bank's stock valued at $281,000 after buying an additional 2,639 shares during the period.  Gabelli Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of  Southern First Bancshares by 10.9% in the first quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 36,650 shares of the bank's stock worth $1,207,000 after buying an additional 3,609 shares in the last quarter.  Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its holdings in shares of  Southern First Bancshares by 4.1% in the first quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 25,500 shares of the bank's stock worth $839,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. 75.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. </p><h2>Southern First Bancshares Company Profile</h2> (Get Free Report)<p>Southern First Bancshares is the bank holding company for Southern First Bank, a community-oriented financial institution headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, the company delivers a full spectrum of commercial and consumer banking services designed to meet the needs of small and midsize businesses, professionals, and individual customers. Southern First Bancshares operates under a relationship-driven model, emphasizing personalized service and local decision–making.  </p><p>The company's core offerings include deposit products such as checking, savings, money market accounts and certificates of deposit, alongside an array of lending solutions covering commercial real estate, construction, equipment financing and small business administration (SBA) loans.</p><h2>Featured Articles</h2><ul><li>Five stocks we like better than Southern First Bancshares</li><li>Do not delete, read immediately</li><li>INVESTOR ALERT: Tiny “$3 AI Wonder Stock” on the Verge of Blasting Off</li><li>Can Any Expenses Be Deducted From Capital Gains Tax?</li><li>Buffett, Gates and Bezos Quietly Dumping Stocks—Here's Why</li><li>The Last Gold Bull Market </li></ul><p><em>This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.</em></p><h2>Should You Invest $1,000 in Southern First Bancshares Right Now?</h2><p>Before you consider Southern First Bancshares, you'll want to hear this.</p><p>MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis. MarketBeat has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and Southern First Bancshares wasn't on the list.</p><p>While Southern First Bancshares currently has a Buy rating among analysts, top-rated analysts believe these five stocks are better buys.</p><p>View The Five Stocks Here</p>                  </div>

SFST

<p>Southern First Bancshares (NASDAQ:SFST) shares crossed above the 50-day moving average, trading as high as $54.47. Analysts have upgraded the stock to 'buy' and 'strong-buy' ratings. The company reported strong quarterly earnings, surpassing estimates. Insider trading activity includes both buying and selling of shares. Institutional investors have adjusted their stakes in the company. Southern First Bancshares is a community-oriented bank headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, offering a range of banking services.</p>

Southern First Bancshares (NASDAQ:SFST) Stock Price Crosses Above 50-Day Moving Average - Here's Why