The business behind the dividend
| Measure | BFC | Median | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 11.1% | 10.6% | Net income ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Return on capital employed | — | — | Operating income ÷ (equity + total debt) |
| Owner earnings | $62.45m | $120.90m | Net income + depreciation & amortisation − capital expenditure |
| Free cash flow | $51.04m | $155.08m | Operating cash flow − capital expenditure |
| Operating margin | 39.8% | 14.3% | Operating income ÷ revenue |
| Net margin | 32.2% | 10.1% | Net income ÷ revenue |
| Debt to equity | — | — | Total debt ÷ shareholders’ equity |
| Interest cover | — | — | Operating income ÷ interest expense |
| Current ratio | — | — | Current assets ÷ current liabilities |
| Long-term debt to working capital | — | — | Long-term debt ÷ (current assets − current liabilities) |
| Cash conversion | — | — | Operating cash flow ÷ net income |
| Accruals | 0.2% | -3.1% | (Net income − operating cash flow) ÷ total assets |
Not computed here: Cash conversion, Current ratio, Debt to equity, Long-term debt to working capital, Interest cover, Return on capital employed — why a blank is not a zero.
Ten years of it
The same measures, for every year the filings support. One year is a fact; a row is a business.
| Measure | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | Median |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return on equity | 11.1% | 10.2% | 12.0% | 10.0% | 14.1% | 12.9% | 11.6% | 14.6% | 9.5% | 11.7% | 11.6% |
| Operating margin | 39.8% | 38.5% | 54.1% | 51.2% | 61.0% | 49.5% | — | — | — | — | 49.5% |
| Net margin | 32.2% | 31.8% | 40.8% | 38.8% | 46.2% | 37.8% | 29.9% | 32.7% | 28.6% | 33.3% | 32.7% |
How it compares in banks & insurers
Among the 377 banks & insurers companies here measured on GAAP earnings, Bank First pays out less than 24 of them. The median for that group is 30.6%, against this company’s 73.3%.
Closest on GAAP earnings
- Citizens & Northern (CZNC) 70.0%
- Beacon Financial (BBT) 70.7%
- American Financial Group (AFG) 72.2%
- Progressive (PGR) 72.3%
Same sector and same denominator, so the figures are comparable. All 377 in banks & insurers →