Statement of Changes in Beneficial Ownership - Form 4

Ownership Submission

FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b). Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

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

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(Print or Type Responses)

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person * MELVILLE DAVID R. III 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol Business First Bancshares, Inc. [BFST] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) __X__ Director _____ 10% Owner __X__ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below) President and CEO (Last) (First) (Middle) 500 LAUREL STREET, SUITE 101 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 11/04/2024 (Street) BATON ROUGE, LA 70801 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (Month/Day/Year) 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 (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 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 11/04/2024 S 7,316 D $26.15(1) 234,323(4)(5) D COMMON STOCK 11/05/2024 S 3,512 D $26.06(2) 230,811(4)(5) D COMMON STOCK 11/06/2024 S 9,172 D $28.42(3) 221,639(4)(5) D

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB control number.	SEC 1474 (9-02)

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 (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	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 (Month/Day/Year)	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

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address	Relationships
Director	10% Owner	Officer	Other
MELVILLE DAVID R. III 500 LAUREL STREET, SUITE 101 BATON ROUGE, LA 70801	X		President and CEO

Signatures

/s/ Heather Roemer, as attorney-in-fact for David R. Melville III	11/06/2024
**Signature of Reporting Person	Date

Explanation of Responses:

*	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).
(1)	This transaction was executed in multiple trades at prices ranging from $26.00 to $26.43. The price reported above reflects the weighted average sale price. The reporting person hereby undertakes to provide upon request to the SEC staff, the issuer or a security holder of the issuer full information regarding the number of shares and prices at which the transaction was effected.
(2)	This transaction was executed in multiple trades at prices ranging from $26.00 to $26.12. The price reported above reflects the weighted average sale price. The reporting person hereby undertakes to provide upon request to the SEC staff, the issuer or a security holder of the issuer full information regarding the number of shares and prices at which the transaction was effected.
(3)	This transaction was executed in multiple trades at prices ranging from $26.31 to $29.00. The price reported above reflects the weighted average sale price. The reporting person hereby undertakes to provide upon request to the SEC staff, the issuer or a security holder of the issuer full information regarding the number of shares and prices at which the transaction was effected.
(4)	Includes (a) 15,494 shares of restricted stock granted on 2/1/2023 which will vest on 3/31/2025, and (b) 19,909 shares of unvested restricted stock granted on 2/1/2024, of which 9,806 shares will vest on 3/31/2025, and the remaining 10,103 shares will vest on 3/31/2026. 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.
(5)	Includes units of employer stock fund through issuer's 401(k) plan equivalent to approximately 11,603 shares.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure. Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.

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