First Foundation (FFWM) Competitors

Columbia Financial (NASDAQ:CLBK) and First Foundation (NYSE:FFWM) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, media sentiment, dividends, earnings, institutional ownership and profitability.

Which has more volatility & risk, CLBK or FFWM?

Columbia Financial has a beta of 0.25, suggesting that its stock price is 75% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Foundation has a beta of 1, suggesting that its stock price has a similar volatility profile to the S&P 500.

Does the media favor CLBK or FFWM?

In the previous week, Columbia Financial had 2 more articles in the media than First Foundation. MarketBeat recorded 2 mentions for Columbia Financial and 0 mentions for First Foundation. Columbia Financial's average media sentiment score of 0.93 beat First Foundation's score of 0.00 indicating that Columbia Financial is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Overall Sentiment
Columbia Financial	Positive
First Foundation	Neutral

Which has better valuation and earnings, CLBK or FFWM?

Columbia Financial has higher earnings, but lower revenue than First Foundation. First Foundation is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Columbia Financial, 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
Columbia Financial	$489.17M	3.18	-$11.65M	$0.06	247.00
First Foundation	$545.12M	0.85	-$92.41M	-$1.41	-4.00

Is CLBK or FFWM more profitable?

Columbia Financial has a net margin of 1.24% compared to First Foundation's net margin of -15.29%. Columbia Financial's return on equity of 3.58% beat First Foundation's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Columbia Financial	1.24%	3.58%	0.37%
First Foundation	-15.29%	-1.20%	-0.09%

Do insiders & institutionals hold more shares of CLBK or FFWM?

12.7% of Columbia Financial shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 73.1% of First Foundation shares are held by institutional investors. 3.5% of Columbia Financial shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 9.5% of First Foundation shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Do analysts recommend CLBK or FFWM?

Columbia Financial currently has a consensus price target of $16.00, suggesting a potential upside of 7.96%. Given Columbia Financial's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts plainly believe Columbia Financial is more favorable than First Foundation.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Columbia Financial	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.00
First Foundation	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	0.00

Summary

Columbia Financial beats First Foundation on 11 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.