Contrasting Stock Yards Bancorp (NASDAQ: SYBT) and First Bancorp (NASDAQ: FBNC)

Stock Yards Bancorp (NASDAQ: SYBT – Get Rating) and First Bancorp (NASDAQ: FBNC – Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership and valuation.

Profitability:

This table compares Stock Yards Bancorp and First Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Analyst Ratings:

This is a summary of recent recommendations for Stock Yards Bancorp and First Bancorp, as reported by MarketBeat.

Stock Yards Bancorp currently has a consensus target price of $ 67.00, indicating a potential upside of 15.40%. First Bancorp has a consensus target price of $ 46.00, indicating a potential upside of 31.84%. Given First Bancorp’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe First Bancorp is more favorable than Stock Yards Bancorp.

Volatility and Risk:

Stock Yards Bancorp has a beta of 0.7, meaning that its stock price is 30% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Bancorp has a beta of 1.17, meaning that its stock price is 17% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends:

Stock Yards Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $ 1.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.9%. First Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $ 0.88 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.5%. Stock Yards Bancorp pays out 50.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. First Bancorp pays out 27.1% 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. Stock Yards Bancorp has raised its dividend for 12 consecutive years and First Bancorp has raised its dividend for 2 consecutive years. First Bancorp is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Insider and Institutional Ownership:

52.0% of Stock Yards Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 68.6% of First Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 4.2% of Stock Yards Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.9% of First 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.

Valuation and Earnings:

This table compares Stock Yards Bancorp and First Bancorp’s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

First Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than Stock Yards Bancorp. First Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Stock Yards Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the most affordable of the two stocks.

Summary:

First Bancorp beats Stock Yards Bancorp on 11 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

Stock Yards Bancorp Company Profile: (Get Rating)

Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc. operates as a holding company for Stock Yards Bank & Trust Company that provides various financial services for individuals, corporations, and others in the United States. It operates in two segments, Commercial Banking, and WM&T. The Commercial Banking segment offers mortgage banking and deposit services; retail, commercial, and commercial real estate lending services; and online banking, mobile banking, private banking, leasing, treasury management, merchant, international banking, correspondent banking, and other banking services. This segment also provides securities brokerage services through an arrangement with a third party broker-dealer. The WM&T segment provides investment management, financial and retirement planning, and trust and estate services, as well as retirement plan management for businesses and corporations. The company operates through 73 full service banking center locations in Louisville, central, eastern and northern Kentucky, as well as Indianapolis, Indiana and Cincinnati, Ohio metropolitan markets. Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky.

First Bancorp Company Profile: (Get Rating)

First Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for First Bank that provides banking products and services for individuals and small to medium-sized businesses primarily in North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina. It accepts deposit products, such as checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time deposits, including certificate of deposits and individual retirement accounts. The company also offers loans for a range of consumer and commercial purposes comprising loans for business, real estate, personal, home improvement, and automobiles, as well as residential mortgages and small business administration loans; and accounts receivable financing and factoring, inventory financing, and purchase order financing services. In addition, it provides credit and debit cards, letter of credits, and safe deposit box rental services, as well as electronic funds transfer services consisting of wire transfers; and internet and mobile banking, cash management, bank-by-phone services, and remote deposit capture services. Further, the company offers investment and insurance products, such as mutual funds, annuities, long-term care insurance, life insurance, and company retirement plans, as well as property and casualty insurance products; and financial planning services. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 121 branches comprising 114 branch offices located in North Carolina and seven branches in South Carolina. First Bancorp was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina.

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