Southern First Bancshares INC: directors' dealings · United States · SEC (Form 4)

About Southern First Bancshares INC

Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: SFST) is a U.S.-based bank holding company headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. The company was incorporated in March 1999 and operates primarily as the parent of Southern First Bank. For francophone investors, SFST should be viewed as a small regional banking franchise serving households, professionals, and businesses across the southeastern United States, with an emphasis on relationship banking rather than national scale. The business model is straightforward and traditionally bank-led: taking FDIC-insured deposits and originating loans. Southern First Bank focuses on commercial lending, commercial real estate, construction lending, business loans, consumer lending, and residential real estate products. In addition, it offers a meaningful package of transaction and treasury-management services, including mobile banking, online banking, cash management, cards, wire transfers, and other payment services. That mix helps support customer retention while building a relatively stable, lower-cost deposit base. Geographically, the group is concentrated in attractive growth markets in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Its office network includes Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston in South Carolina; Raleigh, Greensboro, and Charlotte in North Carolina; and Atlanta in Georgia. The bank also operates a mortgage production office in Columbia. This footprint provides exposure to economically dynamic Southeast markets while preserving the advantages of local decision-making and community-level client relationships, which are often important in regional banking. From a competitive standpoint, Southern First differentiates itself through local ownership, personalized service, and ongoing technology investment. Management highlights what it describes as competitive mobile banking, online banking, and cash management solutions among community banks. These capabilities matter because they help attract low-cost deposits, improve client stickiness, and support operating efficiency. Even so, SFST remains a relatively small regional player compared with larger, better-capitalized U.S. banks. Recent developments are relevant for investors. In January 2026, Southern First reported fourth-quarter 2025 results and described that quarter as the strongest of 2025, while also pointing to resilient market conditions and ongoing growth opportunities. In April 2026, the company announced and priced a public offering of common stock, a corporate event that may influence capital structure and per-share economics depending on size and proceeds usage. Given that SFST is listed on the NASDAQ in the United States, SEC Form 4 insider transactions are also worth monitoring as an additional signal of management alignment and ownership behavior.