SFST

HoldPremium Grower

Southern First Bancshares, Inc. · Financial Services · United States · $580M cap · $5.1M/day traded

$61.19 -0.0% · close 26 Oct · scored 27 Oct

Premium Grower: Strong business with the market behind it, priced at a premium.

65
StockRank
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Quality
56
Value
41
Momentum
63

As of 27 Oct 2026, MoatMap's StockRank for Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (SFST) is 65/100, ranked against 24,000+ stocks in 35 markets (Quality 56, Value 41, Momentum 63, each scored against its sector).

Does StockRank work? Each month we publish how every decile did, whichever way it went. See the record →

P/E (TTM)
12.6x
peers 13.0x
ROE
10.5%
peers 9.6%
D/E
0.7x
peers 0.3x
Dividend %
—
trailing yield

ABOUT SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES, INC.

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Southern First Bancshares is the holding company for Southern First Bank, a rapidly growing regional bank operating in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. The bank utilizes a unique client-first business model, focusing on hiring top-tier local bankers to attract high-net-worth individuals and commercial clients. Its competitive moat is driven by its organic, relationship-led growth strategy and its presence in some of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the Southeast.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY (USD)

Year2022202320242025CAGRTTM2026E2027EFwd CAGR
Revenue107.6M87.5M93.4M118.1M3.2%134.7M146.4M172.3M20.8%
EPS3.661.671.923.771.0%4.855.026.2128.3%
Shares8.0M8.1M8.2M8.2M+2.5%9.5M———
Debt211.2M311.3M264.9M264.9M7.8%253.4M———
Equity294.5M312.5M330.4M368.7M7.8%————
Op CF50.3M17.7M25.6M30.5M-15.4%41.2M———
Inv CF-792.6M-378.6M-28.9M-206.3M—————
Fin CF745.9M346.2M10.0M282.6M—————
Loading 1Y...
PRICE (1Y) · USD-3.7%
59.160.261.362.463.515 Sep6 Oct26 Oct
SMA 50SMA 200

Price checkIn an uptrendExperimental

Above its 200-day average and 6% below its 52-week high.

SwingsCalm

Calmer than 76% of stocks we rank over the past year (29% a year).

How this is worked out

StockRank judges the business. The price check reads only the chart: it is the price side of the Momentum score, in words.

The rules: Still falling is a new 52-week low in the last two weeks, at least 25% below the high. Finding a floor is no new low since. Turning up is 20 or more trading days without a new low, at least 10% off it, and back above a rising 50-day average. In an uptrend is above the 200-day average and within 15% of the high.

In 2,112 US drawdowns since 2001, buying while the price was still falling was followed by a further 20% drop 42% of the time. Waiting for a turn like this one cut that to 33%, at about 7% higher prices and with no better returns. Part of that cut is simply not buying: 13% of falls never turned, and waiting kept those out. Among turns that were bought, 38% still fell another 20%, and 33% of turns were followed by a new low within six months. The benefit was largest in crashes such as 2008 and 2020.

What it measures: day-to-day price moves over the past year, as a yearly figure, ranked against every stock we cover. Very calm under 20% a year, Calm 20 to 30%, Average 30 to 40%, Bumpy 40 to 55%, Very bumpy above that.

What we found: across about 13,500 stocks in 34 markets (2002 to 2025), past swings were a good guide to the next year's, and bumpier stocks fell further. How much further changed too much between eras to put a number on it.

Calm is not safe: a calm stock can still slide steadily.

Rules fixed before any data was fetched. Describes the chart, not a recommendation.

Close
$61.19
RSI (14)
54.4
52-Week Range-6.0% from high
Low $40.91High $65.09

SCORE BREAKDOWN

Quality
56
ROIC (ROA)
0.9%*35.5
ROE
10.5%51.3
GP/Assets
3.1%N/A
Op. Margin
46.4%69.5
FCF/Assets
0.7%N/A
Piotroski
684.9
Int. Cover
—50.0
D/E Ratio
0.72xN/A
Current Ratio
bankN/A
Value
41
P/E (TTM)
12.6x46.9
EV/EBITDA
bankN/A
P/FCF
17.6xN/A
P/B
1.3x48.4
P/S
4.3x32.7
Div Yield
—N/A
Momentum
63
52W High %
94%78.0
RS 6M
2%61.3
SMA 50/200
1.05x61.2
EPS Rev 4W
0.0%50.9
EPS Rev 12W
+0.2%41.8
EPS Improve
+27%59.9
Q Growth
41%70.9

FUNDAMENTALS

Market Cap
$580M
P/E (Forward)
9.9x
Gross Margin
—

SECTOR PEERS

Closest peers in Financial Services, ranked by industry match, size, and score similarity. Cross-listings of SFST are excluded.

TickerCompanyMkt CapStockRankSignal
SFSTSouthern First Bancshares, Inc.(you)$580M65Hold
KRNYKearny Financial Corp.$604M63Hold
AROWArrow Financial Corporation$611M62Hold
MSBIMidland States Bancorp, Inc.$684M67Buy
PDLBPonce Financial Group, Inc.$499M63Hold
PFISPeoples Financial Services Corp.$708M67Buy
HIFSHingham Institution for Savings$665M62Hold
BSRRSierra Bancorp$541M60Hold
SMBCSouthern Missouri Bancorp, Inc.$792M65Buy
OBTOrange County Bancorp, Inc.$514M70Buy

Peer medians: ROE 9.6% · P/E 13.0x · Gross margin 75.4%

Company Deep Dive

Business segments breakdown, earnings transcript analysis, management credibility scoring, competitive landscape, and scenario modelling.

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Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (SFST): Stock Score Summary

Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (SFST) has a MoatMap StockRank of 65/100 based on Quality (56/100), Value (41/100), and Momentum (63/100) factor scores. The current signal is HOLD.

Southern First Bancshares is the holding company for Southern First Bank, a rapidly growing regional bank operating in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. The bank utilizes a unique client-first business model, focusing on hiring top-tier local bankers to attract high-net-worth individuals and commercial clients. Its competitive moat is driven by its organic, relationship-led growth strategy and its presence in some of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the Southeast.

Key Financial Metrics

Price$61.19
Market Cap$580M
P/E (TTM)12.62
P/E (Forward)9.91
Price/Book1.26
Return on Equity10.5%
Debt/Equity0.72x
Operating Margin46.4%
Revenue Growth19.3%
Free Cash Flow$33M

Southern First Bancshares, Inc. operates in the Banks - Regional industry, part of the Financial Services sector (United States).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Southern First Bancshares, Inc.’s (SFST) StockRank?
MoatMap’s StockRank for Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (SFST) is 65/100, with a Hold signal. It is a composite of Quality (56), Value (41), and Momentum (63), each scored against its sector. The composite is then ranked across MoatMap’s universe of 24,000+ stocks.
Does Southern First Bancshares, Inc. have an economic moat?
Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (SFST) has a Quality factor score of 56/100. The Quality factor combines ROIC, Piotroski F-Score, and leverage: the financial fingerprints of a durable competitive advantage. A Quality score above 70 typically indicates a company with the characteristics of a moated business.
Is Southern First Bancshares, Inc. a buy, hold, or sell?
MoatMap’s current signal for Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (SFST) is Hold, based on a StockRank of 65/100. Signals are derived mechanically from the StockRank composite and should be one input among many; combine with your own thesis on management, competitive position, and valuation.
What sector is Southern First Bancshares, Inc. in?
Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (SFST) operates in the Financial Services sector, specifically the Banks - Regional industry (United States).