Civista Bancshares (NASDAQ:CIVB) and First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, earnings, profitability and institutional ownership.
Profitability
This table compares Civista Bancshares and First Financial’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Civista Bancshares | 28.27% | 11.11% | 1.53% |
| First Financial | 26.28% | 9.40% | 1.39% |
Civista Bancshares pays an annual dividend of $0.44 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. First Financial pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.4%. Civista Bancshares pays out 23.8% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. First Financial pays out 27.4% 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.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
56.1% of Civista Bancshares shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 55.2% of First Financial shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.5% of Civista Bancshares shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 3.7% of First Financial shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Volatility & Risk
Civista Bancshares has a beta of 0.81, suggesting that its stock price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Financial has a beta of 0.91, suggesting that its stock price is 9% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Civista Bancshares and First Financial, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Civista Bancshares | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2.33 |
| First Financial | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
Civista Bancshares currently has a consensus price target of $26.00, indicating a potential upside of 22.53%. Given Civista Bancshares’ higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Civista Bancshares is more favorable than First Financial.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Civista Bancshares and First Financial’s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Civista Bancshares | $91.81 million | 3.58 | $14.14 million | $1.85 | 11.47 |
| First Financial | $164.43 million | 3.67 | $46.58 million | $3.80 | 11.57 |
First Financial has higher revenue and earnings than Civista Bancshares. Civista Bancshares is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than First Financial, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
First Financial beats Civista Bancshares on 8 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
Civista Bancshares Company Profile
Civista Bancshares, Inc. operates as the financial holding company for Civista Bank that engages in the community banking business in Ohio. The company accepts noninterest-bearing and interest-bearing demand deposits, and certificates of deposit. It offers commercial, commercial and residential real estate mortgage, real estate construction, and consumer loans. The company also provides trust and third party insurance services. It operates branch banking offices in Sandusky, Norwalk, Berlin Heights, Huron, Port Clinton, Castalia, New Washington, Shelby, Willard, Greenwich, Plymouth, Shiloh, Akron, Dublin, Plain City, Russells Point, Urbana, West Liberty, Quincy, and Dayton communities of Ohio; and Lawrenceburg, Aurora, West Harrison, Milan, Osgood, and Versailles, as well as loan production offices in Mayfield Heights, and Westlake, Ohio; and Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. The company was formerly known as First Citizens Banc Corp and changed its name to Civista Bancshares, Inc. in May 2015. Civista Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio.
First Financial Company Profile
First Financial Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides various financial services. It offers non-interest-bearing demand, interest-bearing demand, savings, time, and other time deposits. The company also provides commercial loans primarily to expand a business or finance asset purchases; residential real estate and residential real estate construction loans; and home equity loans and lines, secured loans, and cash/CD secured and unsecured loans. In addition, it offers lease financing, trust account, depositor, and insurance services. The company operates 66 branches in west-central Indiana and east-central Illinois. It also rents an office building. First Financial Corporation was founded in 1984 and is headquartered in Terre Haute, Indiana.
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