Independent Bank (IBCP) Competitors

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

Does the media prefer IBCP or ABCB?

In the previous week, Ameris Bancorp had 5 more articles in the media than Independent Bank. MarketBeat recorded 8 mentions for Ameris Bancorp and 3 mentions for Independent Bank. Independent Bank's average media sentiment score of 1.81 beat Ameris Bancorp's score of 1.03 indicating that Independent Bank is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Independent Bank	2 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive
Ameris Bancorp	5 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Is IBCP or ABCB more profitable?

Ameris Bancorp has a net margin of 21.46% compared to Independent Bank's net margin of 20.62%. Independent Bank's return on equity of 14.71% beat Ameris Bancorp's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Independent Bank	20.62%	14.71%	1.25%
Ameris Bancorp	21.46%	9.57%	1.32%

Which has higher valuation and earnings, IBCP or ABCB?

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
Independent Bank	$216.85M	3.20	$66.79M	$3.14	10.66
Ameris Bancorp	$1.12B	4.03	$358.68M	$5.40	12.18

Do analysts recommend IBCP or ABCB?

Independent Bank currently has a consensus target price of $36.67, suggesting a potential upside of 9.55%. Ameris Bancorp has a consensus target price of $71.43, suggesting a potential upside of 8.64%. Given Independent Bank's higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Independent Bank is more favorable than Ameris Bancorp.

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
Ameris Bancorp	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	6 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.86

Do insiders & institutionals believe in IBCP or ABCB?

79.4% of Independent Bank shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 91.6% of Ameris Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 5.7% of Independent Bank shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 5.4% of Ameris Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Which has more risk and volatility, IBCP or ABCB?

Independent Bank has a beta of 0.84, indicating that its stock price is 16% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ameris Bancorp has a beta of 0.93, indicating that its stock price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Is IBCP or ABCB a better dividend stock?

Independent Bank pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.1%. Ameris Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $0.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. Independent Bank pays out 33.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Ameris Bancorp pays out 14.8% 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.

Summary

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