 Baton Rouge, La., March 26, 2021 GLOBE NEWSWIRE -- Business First Bancshares, Inc. Business First NASDAQ: BFST, the holding company for b1BANK, today announced the completion of the private placement of 52.5 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.250 fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes the Notes due 2031, to certain qualified institutional and accredited investors. The Notes have been structured to qualify as Tier 2 capital under bank regulatory guidelines, and the proceeds from the sale of the notes will be utilized to provide additional capital support to b1BANK, to support growth, to better position Business First to take advantage of strategic opportunities that may arise from time to time, repayment of existing borrowings, and for other general corporate purposes. 