First Savings Financial Group (NASDAQ: FSFG – Get Rating) and Finward Bancorp (OTCMKTS: FNWD – Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, valuation, profitability, earnings, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.
Analyst Recommendations:
This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for First Savings Financial Group and Finward Bancorp, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings: | Hold Ratings: | Buy Ratings: | Strong Buy Ratings: | Rating Score: | |
| First Savings Financial Group: | 0: | 0: | 1: | 0: | 3.00: |
| Finward Bancorp: | 0: | 0: | 1: | 0: | 3.00: |
First Savings Financial Group presently has a consensus price target of $ 30.00, suggesting a potential upside of 25.00%. Finward Bancorp has a consensus price target of $ 56.00, suggesting a potential upside of 48.34%. Given Finward Bancorp’s higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Finward Bancorp is more favorable than First Savings Financial Group.
Earnings & Valuation:
This table compares First Savings Financial Group and Finward Bancorp’s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue: | Price / Sales Ratio: | Net Income: | Earnings Per Share: | Price / Earnings Ratio: | |
| First Savings Financial Group: | $ 185.70 million: | 0.93: | $ 29.57 million: | $ 2.85: | 8.42: |
| Finward Bancorp: | $ 66.60 million: | 2.43: | $ 14.96 million: | $ 3.55: | 10.63: |
First Savings Financial Group has higher revenue and earnings than Finward Bancorp. First Savings Financial Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Finward Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the most affordable of the two stocks.
Dividends:
First Savings Financial Group pays an annual dividend of $ 0.52 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.2%. Finward Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $ 1.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.3%. First Savings Financial Group pays out 18.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Finward Bancorp pays out 34.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. First Savings Financial Group has raised its dividend for 9 consecutive years.
Insider and Institutional Ownership:
30.5% of First Savings Financial Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 11.7% of Finward Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 14.3% of First Savings Financial Group shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 15.3% of Finward Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Profitability:
This table compares First Savings Financial Group and Finward Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins: | Return on Equity: | Return on Assets: | |
| First Savings Financial Group: | 15.08% | 11.35% | 1.16% |
| Finward Bancorp: | 18.42% | 8.75% | 0.79% |
Risk & Volatility:
First Savings Financial Group has a beta of 0.79, indicating that its share price is 21% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Finward Bancorp has a beta of 0.58, indicating that its share price is 42% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary:
First Savings Financial Group beats Finward Bancorp on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About First Savings Financial Group: (Get Rating)
First Savings Financial Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for First Savings Bank that provides various financial services to consumers and businesses in southern Indiana. The company operates through three segments: Core Banking, SBA Lending, and Mortgage Banking. It accepts deposits, such as checking accounts, NOW and money market accounts, regular savings accounts, and time deposits. The company also provides loans, including one-to four-family residential real estate, commercial real estate, construction, land and land development, multi-family real estate, and commercial business loans, as well as consumer loans, such as automobile loans, home equity lines of credit, unsecured loans, and loans secured by deposits. In addition, it is involved in the mortgage banking; investment activities; and the provision of property and casualty insurance products, and reinsurance to other third-party insurance captives. The company operates 15 branches. First Savings Financial Group, Inc. was incorporated in 2008 and is based in Jeffersonville, Indiana.
About Finward Bancorp: (Get Rating)
Finward Bancorp operates as the holding company for Peoples Bank that provides various banking products and services. The company deposit products include non-interest and interest bearing demand accounts, savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, certificate accounts, and retirement savings plans. Its loan products portfolio comprises residential mortgage loans that enable borrowers to purchase existing homes, refinance existing homes, or construct new homes; construction loans primarily to individuals and contractors; commercial real estate loans; consumer loans to individuals for personal, household, or family purposes; home equity line of credit; home improvement loans and equity loans; commercial business loans; government loans; and loans to municipalities. The company also offers estate and retirement planning services, guardianships, land trusts, profit sharing and 401 (k) retirement plans, IRA and Keogh accounts, and investment agency accounts, as well as serves as the personal representative of estates, and acts as trustee for revocable and irrevocable trusts. In addition, it provides insurance and annuity investments to wealth management customers; holds real estate properties; and operates as a real estate investment trust. As of March 2, 2022, the company operated through 30 locations in Lake and Porter counties in Northwest Indiana and South Chicagoland. The company was formerly known as NorthWest Indiana Bancorp and changed its name to Finward Bancorp in May 2021. Finward Bancorp was incorporated in 1994 and is headquartered in Munster, Indiana.
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