First Bancorp, Inc (ME) (FNLC) Competitors

First Bancorp, Inc (ME) (NASDAQ:FNLC) and Peoples Bancorp (NASDAQ:PEBO) 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, profitability, institutional ownership, media sentiment, earnings, risk, dividends and analyst recommendations.

Which has higher earnings and valuation, FNLC or PEBO?

Peoples Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than First Bancorp, Inc (ME). Peoples Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than First Bancorp, Inc (ME), indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
First Bancorp, Inc (ME)	$165.19M	1.72	$27.05M	$2.51	10.10
Peoples Bancorp	$620.14M	1.76	$117.21M	$3.15	9.70

Does the media favor FNLC or PEBO?

In the previous week, Peoples Bancorp had 2 more articles in the media than First Bancorp, Inc (ME). MarketBeat recorded 6 mentions for Peoples Bancorp and 4 mentions for First Bancorp, Inc (ME). First Bancorp, Inc (ME)'s average media sentiment score of 1.24 beat Peoples Bancorp's score of 0.81 indicating that First Bancorp, Inc (ME) is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
First Bancorp, Inc (ME)	1 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Peoples Bancorp	1 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Is FNLC or PEBO a better dividend stock?

First Bancorp, Inc (ME) pays an annual dividend of $1.44 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.7%. Peoples Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $1.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.4%. First Bancorp, Inc (ME) pays out 57.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Peoples Bancorp pays out 52.1% 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. First Bancorp, Inc (ME) has increased its dividend for 6 consecutive years and Peoples Bancorp has increased its dividend for 10 consecutive years.

Do analysts prefer FNLC or PEBO?

Peoples Bancorp has a consensus target price of $36.00, suggesting a potential upside of 17.76%. Given Peoples Bancorp's stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Peoples Bancorp is more favorable than First Bancorp, Inc (ME).

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
First Bancorp, Inc (ME)	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0.00
Peoples Bancorp	0 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.50

Do insiders & institutionals have more ownership in FNLC or PEBO?

40.4% of First Bancorp, Inc (ME) shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 60.7% of Peoples Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. 5.1% of First Bancorp, Inc (ME) shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 3.4% of Peoples Bancorp shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Is FNLC or PEBO more profitable?

Peoples Bancorp has a net margin of 18.10% compared to First Bancorp, Inc (ME)'s net margin of 16.60%. First Bancorp, Inc (ME)'s return on equity of 11.09% beat Peoples Bancorp's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
First Bancorp, Inc (ME)	16.60%	11.09%	0.89%
Peoples Bancorp	18.10%	10.36%	1.25%

Which has more volatility and risk, FNLC or PEBO?

First Bancorp, Inc (ME) has a beta of 0.53, meaning that its share price is 47% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Peoples Bancorp has a beta of 0.64, meaning that its share price is 36% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Peoples Bancorp beats First Bancorp, Inc (ME) on 14 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.