Independent Bank (IBCP) Competitors

Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB) and Independent Bank (NASDAQ:IBCP) are both finance companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership, dividends, media sentiment, analyst recommendations and risk.

Is ABCB or IBCP more profitable?

Ameris Bancorp has a net margin of 21.46% compared to Independent Bank's net margin of 20.31%. Independent Bank's return on equity of 14.05% beat Ameris Bancorp's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Ameris Bancorp	21.46%	9.57%	1.32%
Independent Bank	20.31%	14.05%	1.21%

Is ABCB or IBCP a better dividend stock?

Ameris Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $0.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. Independent Bank pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.4%. Ameris Bancorp pays out 14.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Independent Bank pays out 33.9% 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. Independent Bank is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Does the media prefer ABCB or IBCP?

In the previous week, Ameris Bancorp had 4 more articles in the media than Independent Bank. MarketBeat recorded 8 mentions for Ameris Bancorp and 4 mentions for Independent Bank. Independent Bank's average media sentiment score of 1.91 beat Ameris Bancorp's score of 1.26 indicating that Independent Bank is being referred to more favorably in the news media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Ameris Bancorp	7 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Independent Bank	3 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive

Which has more volatility and risk, ABCB or IBCP?

Ameris Bancorp has a beta of 0.96, indicating that its stock price is 4% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Independent Bank has a beta of 0.87, indicating that its stock price is 13% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Do analysts prefer ABCB or IBCP?

Ameris Bancorp presently has a consensus price target of $72.14, indicating a potential upside of 7.52%. Independent Bank has a consensus price target of $36.00, indicating a potential upside of 18.23%. Given Independent Bank's higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Independent Bank is more favorable than Ameris Bancorp.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Ameris Bancorp	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	6 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.86
Independent Bank	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.00

Do insiders and institutionals hold more shares of ABCB or IBCP?

91.6% of Ameris Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 79.4% of Independent Bank shares are held by institutional investors. 5.4% of Ameris Bancorp shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.7% of Independent Bank shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Which has better valuation & earnings, ABCB or IBCP?

Ameris Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than Independent Bank. Independent Bank is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ameris Bancorp, 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
Ameris Bancorp	$1.14B	4.05	$358.68M	$5.68	11.81
Independent Bank	$323.14M	1.95	$66.79M	$3.07	9.92

Summary

Ameris Bancorp beats Independent Bank on 13 of the 19 factors compared between the two stocks.