Insider Buying: First Busey (NASDAQ:BUSE) CAO Acquires 5,000 Shares of Stock

May 6, 2026 by InsiderTrades.com

Key Points

Insider purchase: First Busey CAO Scott Phillips acquired 5,000 shares on May 4 at an average price of $25.90 (about $129,500), boosting his ownership to 8,350 shares—a 149.25% increase—per an SEC filing.
Fundamentals and outlook: First Busey reported a quarterly EPS of $0.67 (vs. $0.57 expected) with revenue roughly in line, pays a $0.26 quarterly dividend (≈3.9% yield), and carries a market cap of $2.27B; analysts' consensus is a Moderate Buy with a $27.50 target.

First Busey Corporation (NASDAQ:BUSE - Get Free Report) CAO Scott Phillips purchased 5,000 shares of First Busey stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were bought at an average price of $25.90 per share, with a total value of $129,500.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 8,350 shares in the company, valued at approximately $216,265. The trade was a 149.25% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website.

First Busey Stock Up 1.3%

NASDAQ BUSE opened at $26.56 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $25.67 and a 200 day moving average price of $24.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.91 and a current ratio of 0.91. The company has a market cap of $2.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.80 and a beta of 0.72. First Busey Corporation has a one year low of $20.91 and a one year high of $27.65.

First Busey (NASDAQ:BUSE - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 28th. The bank reported $0.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.57 by $0.10. First Busey had a net margin of 19.16% and a return on equity of 10.16%. The company had revenue of $197.17 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $197.15 million. Research analysts anticipate that First Busey Corporation will post 2.57 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Busey Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, May 1st. Investors of record on Friday, April 24th were given a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, April 24th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.9%. First Busey's payout ratio is presently 46.22%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Busey

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of First Busey during the fourth quarter worth $28,000. Litman Gregory Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of First Busey in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Allworth Financial LP lifted its stake in First Busey by 127.8% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 1,583 shares of the bank's stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 888 shares in the last quarter. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in First Busey during the 4th quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its holdings in First Busey by 726.1% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 2,280 shares of the bank's stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 2,004 shares during the period. 56.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on BUSE shares. Stephens raised their target price on shares of First Busey from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings upgraded First Busey from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. DA Davidson reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $27.00 price target on shares of First Busey in a report on Thursday, January 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on First Busey from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 30th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Busey has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $27.50.

View Our Latest Report on BUSE

About First Busey

(Get Free Report)

First Busey (NASDAQ: BUSE) is a bank holding company headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, with roots tracing back to the founding of Busey Bank in 1868. As a regional financial institution, it offers a broad spectrum of banking services to individuals, small businesses, and corporations. Its core activities include commercial lending, deposit-taking, and cash management, which are tailored to meet the needs of local communities across its operating footprint.

In addition to traditional banking operations, First Busey provides wealth management and trust services through its subsidiary aimed at high-net-worth clients and fiduciary accounts.