Analyzing Bank of Marin Bancorp (NASDAQ:BMRC) and First National of Nebraska (OTCMKTS:FINN)

Bank of Marin Bancorp (NASDAQ:BMRC) and First National of Nebraska (OTCMKTS:FINN) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, valuation and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Bank of Marin Bancorp and First National of Nebraska’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Bank of Marin Bancorp	-21.76%	6.00%	0.70%
First National of Nebraska	N/A	N/A	N/A

Institutional & Insider Ownership

52.3% of Bank of Marin Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.7% of First National of Nebraska shares are owned by institutional investors. 5.7% of Bank of Marin Bancorp shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 41.7% of First National of Nebraska shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends

Bank of Marin Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $1.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.2%. First National of Nebraska pays an annual dividend of $160.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.0%. Bank of Marin Bancorp pays out -44.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Bank of Marin Bancorp and First National of Nebraska, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Bank of Marin Bancorp	0	3	3	0	2.50
First National of Nebraska	0	0	0	0	0.00

Bank of Marin Bancorp currently has a consensus price target of $30.10, suggesting a potential upside of 25.97%. Given Bank of Marin Bancorp’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Bank of Marin Bancorp is more favorable than First National of Nebraska.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Bank of Marin Bancorp and First National of Nebraska”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Bank of Marin Bancorp	$163.98 million	2.34	-$35.67 million	($2.25)	-10.62
First National of Nebraska	$3.23 billion	1.40	$412.43 million	N/A	N/A

First National of Nebraska has higher revenue and earnings than Bank of Marin Bancorp.

Volatility & Risk

Bank of Marin Bancorp has a beta of 0.89, suggesting that its stock price is 11% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First National of Nebraska has a beta of 0.13, suggesting that its stock price is 87% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Bank of Marin Bancorp beats First National of Nebraska on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Bank of Marin Bancorp

Bank of Marin Bancorp operates as the holding company for Bank of Marin that provides a range of financial services primarily to small to medium-sized businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and commercial real estate investors in the United States. The company offers personal and business checking and savings accounts; and individual retirement, health savings, and demand deposit marketplace accounts, as well as time certificates of deposit, certificate of deposit account registry, and insured cash sweep services. It also provides commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, and consumer loans, as well as construction financing and home equity lines of credit. In addition, the company offers merchant and payroll services; commercial equipment leasing program; payment solutions; treasury management services; credit cards; and mobile deposit, remote deposit capture, automated clearing house, wire transfer, and image lockbox services. Further, it provides wealth management and trust services comprising customized investment portfolio management, financial planning, trust administration, estate settlement, and custody services, as well as 401(k) plan services; and automated teller machines, and telephone and digital banking services. The company was incorporated in 1989 and is headquartered in Novato, California.

About First National of Nebraska

First National of Nebraska, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for First National Bank of Omaha that provides various banking products and services. The company offers checking, savings, and individual retirement accounts; certificates of deposit; and credit cards. It also provides personal loans and lines of credit; auto loans; mortgage loans; home equity lines of credit and loans; small business loans and lines of credit; small business administration loans; and commercial lending solutions. In addition, the company offers treasury management, debt consolidation, financial planning, retirement planning, wealth management, merchant, and payroll services; and personal, commercial, and farm insurance products. Further, it provides solutions for agribusiness, commercial real estate, healthcare, transportation, and correspondent banking; investment services, such as capital market and institutional asset management; and digital banking services. First National of Nebraska, Inc. was founded in 1857 and is headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska.