First National (FXNC) Competitors

Independent Bank (NASDAQ:IBCP) and First National (NASDAQ:FXNC) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, media sentiment, valuation, earnings and profitability.

Which has more risk & volatility, IBCP or FXNC?

Independent Bank has a beta of 0.84, meaning that its share price is 16% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First National has a beta of 0.49, meaning that its share price is 51% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Does the media refer more to IBCP or FXNC?

In the previous week, Independent Bank had 2 more articles in the media than First National. MarketBeat recorded 3 mentions for Independent Bank and 1 mentions for First National. First National's average media sentiment score of 1.87 beat Independent Bank's score of 1.81 indicating that First National is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Overall Sentiment
Independent Bank	Very Positive
First National	Very Positive

Is IBCP or FXNC more profitable?

Independent Bank has a net margin of 20.62% compared to First National's net margin of 5.36%. Independent Bank's return on equity of 14.71% beat First National's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Independent Bank	20.62%	14.71%	1.25%
First National	5.36%	10.04%	0.84%

Which has better valuation & earnings, IBCP or FXNC?

Independent Bank has higher revenue and earnings than First National. Independent Bank is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than First National, 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
Independent Bank	$216.85M	3.24	$66.79M	$3.14	10.79
First National	$70.49M	2.61	$6.97M	$0.83	24.65

Is IBCP or FXNC a better dividend stock?

Independent Bank pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.1%. First National pays an annual dividend of $0.62 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. Independent Bank pays out 33.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. First National pays out 74.7% 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. Independent Bank has raised its dividend for 11 consecutive years and First National has raised its dividend for 10 consecutive years. Independent Bank is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Do analysts prefer IBCP or FXNC?

Independent Bank currently has a consensus price target of $36.67, indicating a potential upside of 8.26%. First National has a consensus price target of $24.75, indicating a potential upside of 20.97%. Given First National's higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe First National is more favorable than Independent Bank.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Independent Bank	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.00
First National	0 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.00

Do institutionals & insiders have more ownership in IBCP or FXNC?

79.4% of Independent Bank shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 33.9% of First National shares are held by institutional investors. 5.7% of Independent Bank shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 14.3% of First National shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

Independent Bank beats First National on 13 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.