Head-To-Head Comparison: First Northern Community Bancorp (OTCMKTS:FNRN) and TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ:TCBK)

TriCo Bancshares (NASDAQ:TCBK) and First Northern Community Bancorp (OTCMKTS:FNRN) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, earnings, dividends and profitability.

Profitability

This table compares TriCo Bancshares and First Northern Community Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
TriCo Bancshares	21.11%	8.99%	1.14%
First Northern Community Bancorp	23.58%	11.03%	1.08%

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares TriCo Bancshares and First Northern Community Bancorp”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
TriCo Bancshares	$531.04 million	2.70	$114.87 million	$3.40	12.95
First Northern Community Bancorp	$84.67 million	2.36	$20.03 million	$1.28	9.91

TriCo Bancshares has higher revenue and earnings than First Northern Community Bancorp. First Northern Community Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than TriCo Bancshares, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

59.1% of TriCo Bancshares shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 17.9% of First Northern Community Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 4.8% of TriCo Bancshares shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 13.0% of First Northern Community Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for TriCo Bancshares and First Northern Community Bancorp, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
TriCo Bancshares	0	4	3	0	2.43
First Northern Community Bancorp	0	0	0	0	0.00

TriCo Bancshares presently has a consensus target price of $47.60, suggesting a potential upside of 8.08%. Given TriCo Bancshares’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe TriCo Bancshares is more favorable than First Northern Community Bancorp.

Volatility & Risk

TriCo Bancshares has a beta of 0.63, indicating that its stock price is 37% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Northern Community Bancorp has a beta of 0.23, indicating that its stock price is 77% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

TriCo Bancshares beats First Northern Community Bancorp on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About TriCo Bancshares

TriCo Bancshares operates as a bank holding company for Tri Counties Bank that provides commercial banking services to individual and corporate customers. The company accepts demand, savings, and time deposits. It also provides small business loans; real estate mortgage loans, such as residential and commercial loans; consumer loans; mortgage, auto, other vehicle, and personal loans; commercial loans, including agricultural loans; and real estate construction loans. In addition, the company offers treasury management services; credit and debit cards; and other customary banking services, including safe deposit boxes; and independent financial and broker-dealer services. Further, it provides checking, saving, and money market accounts, as well as individual retirement accounts; equipment financing; certificate of deposit account registry service; certificated of deposit; and IntraFi cash service. TriCo Bancshares was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Chico, California.

About First Northern Community Bancorp

First Northern Community Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for First Northern Bank of Dixon that provides commercial banking products and services to individuals, and small and medium sized businesses. The company accepts demand deposits, interest-bearing transaction deposits, savings and money market deposit accounts, and time deposits. It also offers commercial, commercial real estate, agriculture, residential mortgage, residential construction, and consumer loans. In addition, the company provides debit and credit cards; investment and brokerage services; alternative investment products, and fiduciary and other financial services; and equipment leasing, merchant card processing, payroll, and international banking services through third parties. Further, it offers cashier's checks, safe deposit boxes, and other customary banking services. The company operates branches located in the cities of Auburn, Colusa, Davis, Dixon, Fairfield, Orland, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Sacramento, Vacaville, West Sacramento, Winters, Willows, and Woodland; satellite banking office inside a retirement community in the city of Davis; residential mortgage loan office in Davis; and commercial loan office in the Contra Costa County city of Walnut Creek. First Northern Community Bancorp was founded in 1910 and is headquartered in Dixon, California.