Southern First Bancshares (SFST): Hedge Fund Ownership & Smart Money Signals (Q1 2026)

Q: Is it too late to buy Southern First Bancshares (SFST) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, SFST has moved nan% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +4.8% for the XLF sector ETF — an outperformance of nan%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), SFST gained nan% vs +8.5% for XLF. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Southern First Bancshares (SFST)

144 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in SFST. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Smart Money Signals — SFST

Based on 145 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📈

Buying streak — 5 quarters in a row

last 6Q

For 5 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added SFST than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

🏔️

At the ownership peak (100% of max)

100% of all-time peak

145 hedge funds hold SFST right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.

🚀

Fast accumulation — +53% more funds vs a year ago

fund count last 6Q

+50 new funds entered over the past year (+53% YoY). That's a rapid rush of institutional money. Fast accumulation often signals a major thesis — but it also means the stock could fall quickly if that thesis breaks.

🟢

More buyers than sellers — 64% buying

79 buying45 selling

Last quarter: 79 funds were net buyers (30 opened a brand new position + 49 added to an existing one). Only 45 were sellers (33 trimmed + 12 sold completely). A clear majority buying is a strong confirmation signal.

📈

More new buyers each quarter (+13 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter

Funds opening a new SFST position: 11 → 20 → 17 → 30. A growing influx of new institutional buyers means the asset is still gathering momentum — the consensus hasn't fully saturated yet.

🔒

52% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 52% conviction (2yr+) ■ 18% medium ■ 30% new

75 out of 145 hedge funds have held SFST for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

🚀

Acceleration phase — new buyers rushing in

10 → 11 → 20 → 17 → 30 new funds/Q

New funds entering each quarter: 11 → 20 → 17 → 30. The pace of institutional discovery is accelerating sharply. This is the 'hot idea' phase — the thesis is being passed from fund to fund. You are not late — the accumulation wave is still building.

🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 57% veterans vs 35% newcomers

■ 57% veterans ■ 8% 1-2yr ■ 35% new

Entry-cohort mix of 145 holders: 83 (57%) are 2+ year veterans, 11 entered 1–2 years ago, and 51 (35%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.

✅

Strong quality — 29% AUM from major funds

29% from top-100 AUM funds

35 of 145 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 29% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

4.4

out of 10

Moderate Exit Risk

Exit risk score 4.4/10 — some crowding factors present, but no critical concentration. Watch ownership trend over the next 1–2 quarters for direction.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Metric	All 13F Filers (2026 Q1)	Prior (2025 Q4)	Change
Funds Holding	144	127	13.39%
13F Shares	7M	6M	10.7%
Total Value	$318M	$318M	0.21%
New Positions	29	17	+12
Increased Positions	49	44	+5
Closed Positions	12	2	+10
Reduced Positions	33	39	-6
Total Calls	0	0	-
Total Puts	0	0	-
PUT/CALL Ratio	0.0	0.0	Bullish

Metric

All 13F Filers (2026 Q1)

Prior (2025 Q4)

Change

Funds Holding

144

127

13.39%

13F Shares

10.7%

Total Value

$318M

0.21%

New Positions

+12

Increased Positions

Closed Positions

+10

Reduced Positions

-6

Total Calls

Total Puts

PUT/CALL Ratio

0.0

Bullish

Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

144 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in SFST. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:

FILTER:All New Added To Reduced No Change | Overweight >5%

Top 25 SFST holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
#	Investor	% of Portfolio	Shares	Mkt Value
1	Endeavour Capital Advisors Inc	7.51%	607,405	$33.1M
2	FJ Capital Management LLC	4.95%	807,223	$44.0M
3	Rhino Investment Partners, Inc	3.19%	210,121	$11.5M
4	Banc Funds Co LLC	1.74%	171,655	$9.4M
5	Elizabeth Park Capital Advisors, Ltd.	1.59%	37,803	$2.1M
6	Teton Advisors, LLC	0.64%	16,800	$916K
7	Maltese Capital Management LLC	0.38%	35,026	$1.9M
8	Abacus Planning Group, Inc.	0.22%	30,375	$1.7M
9	Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC	0.20%	19,848	$1.1M
10	Brendel Financial Advisors LLC	0.15%	5,601	$305K
11	ELCO Management Co., LLC	0.15%	5,582	$304K
12	Informed Momentum Co LLC	0.14%	21,475	$1.2M
13	Colton Groome Financial Advisors, LLC	0.12%	7,675	$418K
14	Mendon Capital Advisors Corp	0.12%	5,582	$304K
15	Sheets Smith Wealth Management	0.12%	19,204	$1.0M
16	De Lisle Partners LLP	0.08%	12,591	$686K
17	Wagner Wealth Management, LLC	0.08%	7,284	$397K
18	Bridgeway Capital Management, LLC	0.06%	56,634	$3.1M
19	Legato Capital Management LLC	0.06%	11,835	$645K
20	Godsey & Gibb, Inc	0.05%	11,060	$603K
21	SeaCrest Wealth Management, LLC	0.05%	7,988	$435K
22	Fourthstone LLC	0.04%	4,561	$249K
23	Numerai GP LLC	0.03%	6,197	$338K
24	Foster Victor Wealth Advisors, LLC	0.03%	9,453	$556K
25	Colonial Trust Advisors	0.03%	6,610	$360K

Investor	Ownership History	% of Portfolio	Prev %	Rank	Conviction	Avg Buy Price	13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y	Sell Timing	Shares	Mkt Value	Change	Change %	Source	Quarter	Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Southern First Bancshares (SFST)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for SFST?

Buying streak — 5 quarters in a row: For 5 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added SFST than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

What is the institutional breadth score for SFST?

More buyers than sellers — 64% buying: Last quarter: 79 funds were net buyers (30 opened a brand new position + 49 added to an existing one). Only 45 were sellers (33 trimmed + 12 sold completely). A clear majority buying is a strong confirmation signal.

What is the fund quality score for SFST holders?

Strong quality — 29% AUM from major funds: 35 of 145 holders rank in the top 100 by AUM, accounting for 29% of total institutional value held. A meaningful share of the ownership value comes from the most well-resourced institutions.

How long have hedge funds held SFST?

52% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 75 out of 145 hedge funds have held SFST for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Southern First Bancshares (SFST) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, SFST has moved nan% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +4.8% for the XLF sector ETF — an outperformance of nan%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), SFST has gained nan% vs +8.5% for XLF. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Market Cap	--
Enterprise Value	--
Trailing P/E	--
Forward P/E	--
PEG Ratio (5yr expected)	--
Price/Sales (ttm)	--
Price/Book (mrq)	--
Enterprise Value/Revenue	--
Enterprise Value/EBITDA	--
Beta (5Y Monthly)	--
Short Ratio (Days to Cover)	--
Short % of Float	--

Profit Margin	--
Return on Assets (ttm)	--
Return on Equity (ttm)	--

Revenue (ttm)	--
Net Income Avi to Common (ttm)	--
Diluted EPS (ttm)	--
Total Cash (mrq)	--
Total Debt/Equity (mrq)	--
Levered Free Cash Flow (ttm)	--

Southern First Bancshares (SFST)

Smart Money Signals — SFST

Buying streak — 5 quarters in a row

At the ownership peak (100% of max)

Fast accumulation — +53% more funds vs a year ago

More buyers than sellers — 64% buying

More new buyers each quarter (+13 vs last Q)

52% of holders stayed for 2+ years

Acceleration phase — new buyers rushing in

Veteran-anchored — 57% veterans vs 35% newcomers

Strong quality — 29% AUM from major funds

Institutional Sentiment Summary — SFST

Hedge Fund Ownership: SFST

Market Analysis: SFST

Analyst Price Targets

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Company Profile: SFST

Is It Too Late to Buy Southern First Bancshares (SFST) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Hedge Fund Positioning: SFST

Statistics: SFST

Valuation Measures Data as of: --

Financial Highlights

Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

Frequently Asked Questions — Southern First Bancshares (SFST)

Welcome to 13Foresight!