Sec Form 4 Filing - Vascocu Norman Jerome Jr @ Business First Bancshares, Inc. - 2025-03-01

FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person Vascocu Norman Jerome Jr 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Business First Bancshares, Inc. [ BFST] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) _____ Director _____ 10% Owner X __ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) President of b1Bank (Last) (First) (Middle) 500 LAUREL STREET, SUITE 101 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (MM/DD/YY) 03/01/2025 (Street) BATON ROUGE, LA70801 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YY) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) __ X __ Form filed by One Reporting Person _____ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned 1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price COMMON STOCK 25,883 ( 1 ) ( 2 ) D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ( e.g. , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) 1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YY) 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares Restricted Stock Units $ 0 03/01/2025 A 8,047 ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 3 ) ( 3 ) Commo n Stock 8,047 ( 3 ) ( 4 ) ( 3 ) 15,704 ( 5 ) D

Reporting Owners Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships Director 10% Owner Officer Other Vascocu Norman Jerome Jr 500 LAUREL STREET, SUITE 101 BATON ROUGE, LA70801 President of b1Bank Signatures /s/ Heather Roemer, as attorney-in-fact for Norman Jerome Vascocu, Jr. 03/04/2025 Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

( 1 )No transaction is being reported at this time. This line is only reporting holdings as of the date hereof. ( 2 )Includes: (a) 5,500 shares of unvested restricted stock granted on February 1, 2023, which will vest on March 31, 2025, and (b) 7,442 shares of unvested restricted stock granted on February 1, 2024, of which 3,666 shares will vest on March 31, 2025, and the remaining 3,776 shares will vest on March 31, 2026. Under the terms of the relevant restricted stock grants, the reported shares of unvested restricted stock are subject to forfeiture upon the occurrence of certain events. ( 3 )Reflects the grant of 8,047 time-based restricted stock units granted to the Reporting Person on March 1, 2025, of which 2,655 shares will vest on March 1, 2026, 2,655 shares will vest on March 1, 2027, and the remaining 2,737 shares will vest on March 1, 2028. Each time-based restricted stock unit is economically equivalent to one share of common stock of the issuer. ( 4 )The Reporting Person has irrevocably elected to defer the reported securities under the b1BANK Deferred Compensation Plan (the "Deferred Compensation Plan"). In accordance with the Deferred Compensation Plan, the Reporting Person has elected to receive cash in an amount equal to the vested securities under the Deferred Compensation Plan, plus any earnings or losses attributable thereto in accordance with the Deferred Compensation Plan, distributed in equal annual installments over a 10-year period commencing on the first business day of the month following the month in which the Reporting Person's separation of service occurs. ( 5 )Includes: (a) 7,657 time-based restricted stock units granted to the Reporting Person on December 12, 2024, which will vest in three substantially equal installments on the first, second, and third anniversary of the issuance date; and (b) 8,047 time-based restricted stock units granted to the Reporting Person on March 1, 2025, of which 2,655 shares will vest on March 1, 2026, 2,655 shares will vest on March 1, 2027, and the remaining 2,737 shares will vest on March 1, 2028.

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

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