BUSE Stock: Insider Activity, Filings & Research

First Busey Corporation (BUSE) — Drillr’s hub for BUSE insider activity, SEC filings, earnings signals and AI research. Over the trailing 3 months, BUSE insiders filed 4 open-market buys and 3 sales (SEC Form 4).

Sentiment

75/100

Buys (3m)

Sells (3m)

Net (3m)

$120.9K

Insiders buyingCluster buying

Insider trades by month Buys Sells

Dec

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Context3-month price +4.6%Institutions mixed (13F)

Date	Insider	Type	Shares	Price
May 18, 2026	Cassens Michael Daviddirector	Sell	750	$26.11
May 12, 2026	BRADSHAW STANLEY Jdirector	Buy	600	$25.99
May 5, 2026	Powers John Josephofficer: EVP & General Counsel	Grant	319	—
May 5, 2026	BRADSHAW STANLEY Jdirector	Grant	308	—
May 5, 2026	Fauss Amyofficer: Chief Info & Tech Officer	Grant	426	$20.32
May 5, 2026	KENNEY FREDERIC Ldirector	Grant	303	—
May 5, 2026	Phillips Scott A.officer: Chief Accounting Officer	Buy	5,000	$25.90
May 5, 2026	DUKEMAN VAN Adirector, officer: President and CEO	Grant	1,128	—
May 5, 2026	Wehrli Scott Adirector	Grant	125	—
May 5, 2026	King Stephen Vdirector	Grant	349	—
May 5, 2026	Fauss Amyofficer: Chief Info & Tech Officer	Grant	218	—
May 5, 2026	Chan Christopher H.M.officer: Chief Financial Officer	Grant	329	—
May 5, 2026	Hammond Thomas Anthonyofficer: President, Busey Bank	Grant	121	—
May 5, 2026	Bowe Monica Lofficer: EVP Chief Risk Officer	Grant	308	—
May 5, 2026	Randolph Amy Lofficer: Chief Operating Officer	Grant	1,046	$20.32

Source: BUSE SEC Form 4 filings, latest May 18, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.

Overview

First Busey Corporation (NASDAQ:BUSE) is a regional bank holding company founded in 1868 and headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. The company operates as the parent organization for Busey Bank, which provides comprehensive banking and financial services across the Midwest and select markets in Florida and Indiana. With over 150 years of history, First Busey has evolved from a local community bank into a multi-state financial institution serving individual consumers, businesses, and institutional clients through 58 banking centers across Illinois, Missouri, Florida, and Indiana.

Business

First Busey Corporation operates in the regional banking industry, providing traditional banking services alongside specialized financial technology and wealth management solutions. The company operates through three distinct business segments that collectively generate its revenue streams. The Banking segment forms the core of First Busey's operations, offering traditional commercial and retail banking services. This includes accepting various types of deposits such as checking accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit from consumers and businesses. On the lending side, the bank provides commercial loans to businesses, agricultural financing, real estate construction loans, residential mortgages, and consumer loans including home equity lines of credit. The banking segment also offers standard banking services like money transfers, safe deposit boxes, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and other fiduciary services through its network of physical branches, ATMs, and digital banking platforms. The FirsTech segment represents First Busey's payment technology division, which provides specialized payment processing solutions to businesses and organizations. This segment operates a comprehensive payment platform that includes walk-in payment processing at retail locations, online bill payment systems, telephone-based customer service payments, mobile bill payment applications, and direct debit services. FirsTech also offers electronic payment concentration services through automated clearing house networks, money management solutions, credit card processing, and lockbox remittance processing for mail-based payments. Additionally, this segment provides supporting tools for billing, reconciliation, payment reminders, and treasury management services. The Wealth Management segment delivers comprehensive financial advisory and investment services to high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutions. Services include investment management, trust administration, estate planning and advisory services, comprehensive financial planning, business succession planning, and employee retirement plan services. The segment also provides investment strategy consulting, fiduciary services, security brokerage, asset management, philanthropic advisory services, tax preparation, and professional farm management services. While specific revenue breakdowns by segment are not disclosed in the available financial data, regional banks typically derive the majority of their revenue from net interest income generated by the banking segment, with fee-based services from wealth management and payment processing contributing smaller but growing portions of total revenue.

Revenue model

First Busey generates revenue through multiple complementary business models that leverage its diversified financial services platform. The primary revenue source comes from net interest income, which represents the difference between interest earned on loans and investments and interest paid on deposits and borrowings. The bank collects deposits from consumers and businesses at relatively low interest rates, then lends these funds at higher rates to borrowers, capturing the interest rate spread as profit. The company also generates substantial fee-based income from its various service offerings. The Banking segment earns fees from account maintenance, overdraft charges, ATM usage, wire transfers, and loan origination fees. The Wealth Management segment operates on a fee-for-service model, charging management fees based on assets under management, hourly advisory fees, and transaction-based commissions on investment products. The FirsTech segment generates revenue through transaction processing fees, monthly service charges for payment platforms, and technology licensing arrangements with business clients. Several factors significantly impact First Busey's profitability margins. Interest rate environment represents the most critical external factor, as rising rates typically expand net interest margins while falling rates compress them. The company's credit quality directly affects profitability through loan loss provisions, with economic downturns potentially requiring higher reserves for bad debt. Regulatory compliance costs continue to increase for regional banks, requiring ongoing investments in risk management, reporting systems, and compliance personnel. Competition from larger national banks and fintech companies pressures both deposit pricing and loan rates, potentially squeezing margins. Technology investments represent both a cost pressure and competitive necessity, as customers increasingly demand digital banking capabilities. The company's deposit mix also affects profitability, with demand deposits (checking accounts) being less expensive than time deposits (certificates of deposit), making customer acquisition and retention strategies crucial for maintaining low funding costs.

Competitive moat

First Busey's competitive moat is moderate but faces increasing challenges from industry consolidation and technological disruption. The company's primary competitive advantages stem from its local market presence and relationship banking model. With over 150 years of history in its core Illinois markets, First Busey has developed deep community relationships and local market knowledge that larger national banks struggle to replicate. This local presence enables more personalized service and faster decision-making for commercial lending, particularly valuable for small and medium-sized businesses that prefer working with local institutions. The company's diversified revenue streams through its three-segment structure provide some defensive characteristics, as fee-based income from wealth management and payment processing can partially offset cyclical pressures in traditional banking. The FirsTech payment processing platform represents a potentially differentiating asset, offering specialized solutions that could generate recurring revenue streams independent of interest rate cycles. However, First Busey's moat faces significant challenges. The company operates in a highly competitive and commoditized industry where scale advantages favor larger institutions. Mega-banks can offer more competitive rates, broader product suites, and superior technology platforms due to their cost advantages. Fintech disruption threatens traditional banking relationships, particularly among younger customers who prioritize digital convenience over personal relationships. Regulatory compliance costs disproportionately burden smaller regional banks, creating ongoing competitive disadvantages relative to larger institutions that can spread these fixed costs across larger asset bases. The company's geographic concentration in the Midwest also creates vulnerability to regional economic downturns, while its modest size limits its ability to compete for larger commercial relationships. Overall, while First Busey maintains some local market advantages, its moat is relatively narrow and faces ongoing erosion from structural industry trends favoring larger, more technologically sophisticated competitors.

Risks & safety

First Busey demonstrates solid financial stability with moderate risk levels typical of well-managed regional banks. • Liquidity position: Strong cash position of $698 million as of Q4 2024, representing 5.8% of total assets, providing adequate liquidity buffer • Debt levels: Moderate debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, indicating conservative leverage and low solvency risk • Profitability: Consistent profitability with 2024 net income of $114 million and return on equity of 8.2% • Valuation metrics: Trading at reasonable P/E ratio of 11.7x and price-to-book ratio of 0.96x, suggesting fair valuation • Cash generation: Positive operating cash flow of $178 million in 2024 with free cash flow of $172 million • Asset quality: Total assets of $12.0 billion with shareholders' equity of $1.4 billion providing reasonable capital cushion • Regulatory capital: As a regulated bank, subject to minimum capital requirements which appear adequately maintained based on continued operations

Recent development

Based on the available financial data, First Busey has demonstrated consistent operational performance over recent years while navigating a challenging interest rate environment. The company has maintained relatively stable revenue generation, with total revenue of $461 million in 2024 compared to $439 million in 2023, representing modest growth of approximately 5%. The bank has successfully managed its asset quality and capital position throughout the recent period of economic uncertainty and rising interest rates. Total assets have remained relatively stable around $12 billion, while the company has maintained strong liquidity positions with cash and short-term investments fluctuating between $285 million and $698 million depending on market conditions and strategic positioning. Profitability trends show some variability, with net income declining from $128 million in 2022 to $123 million in 2023, then falling to $114 million in 2024. This decline likely reflects the challenging operating environment for regional banks, including margin pressure from rising funding costs and increased competition for deposits. However, the company has maintained positive cash flow generation throughout this period, with operating cash flows remaining strong at $178 million in 2024. The company's capital management has remained disciplined, with debt-to-equity ratios staying in the moderate range of 0.23-0.26, indicating conservative financial management. The consistent maintenance of its branch network across Illinois, Missouri, Florida, and Indiana suggests a stable geographic footprint without major expansion or contraction activities during this period.

BUSE company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.

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