Comparing South Atlantic Bancshares (OTCMKTS:SABK) and Benchmark Bankshares (OTCMKTS:BMBN)

South Atlantic Bancshares (OTCMKTS:SABK) and Benchmark Bankshares (OTCMKTS:BMBN) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability and institutional ownership.

Profitability

This table compares South Atlantic Bancshares and Benchmark Bankshares’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
South Atlantic Bancshares	N/A	N/A	N/A
Benchmark Bankshares	N/A	N/A	N/A

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares South Atlantic Bancshares and Benchmark Bankshares”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
South Atlantic Bancshares	$93.28 million	1.33	$12.45 million	$1.66	9.95
Benchmark Bankshares	$73.53 million	1.98	$15.85 million	N/A	N/A

Benchmark Bankshares has lower revenue, but higher earnings than South Atlantic Bancshares.

Dividends

South Atlantic Bancshares pays an annual dividend of $0.10 per share and has a dividend yield of 0.6%. Benchmark Bankshares pays an annual dividend of $0.88 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.7%. South Atlantic Bancshares pays out 6.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Volatility & Risk

South Atlantic Bancshares has a beta of 0.2, indicating that its stock price is 80% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Benchmark Bankshares has a beta of 0.13, indicating that its stock price is 87% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and price targets for South Atlantic Bancshares and Benchmark Bankshares, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
South Atlantic Bancshares	0	0	1	0	3.00
Benchmark Bankshares	0	0	0	0	0.00

South Atlantic Bancshares currently has a consensus target price of $19.00, indicating a potential upside of 15.01%. Given South Atlantic Bancshares’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe South Atlantic Bancshares is more favorable than Benchmark Bankshares.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

13.3% of South Atlantic Bancshares shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 3.2% of Benchmark Bankshares shares are owned by institutional investors. 14.0% of Benchmark Bankshares shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

South Atlantic Bancshares beats Benchmark Bankshares on 6 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About South Atlantic Bancshares

South Atlantic Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for South Atlantic Bank that provides consumer and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, and corporations in South Carolina. The company offers checking, money market, and saving accounts, as well as certificate of deposit, individual retirement, and health saving accounts; personal, auto, and recreation loans, as well as home equity and ready reserve overdraft line of credits, and commercial lending products; and credit cards. It also provides cash management and merchant card services; remote deposit capture and automated clearing house services; online, mobile, and telephone banking services; personal and business checks; mortgage products and services; and wealth management services. The company operates offices in Myrtle Beach, Carolina Forest, North Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island, Georgetown, Mount Pleasant, Charleston, Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, and Beaufort, South Carolina. South Atlantic Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

About Benchmark Bankshares

Benchmark Bankshares, Inc. operates as the holding company for Benchmark Community Bank that provides various banking products and services in the United States. The company accepts various deposits, such as checking, saving, commercial services, and youth accounts. Its loan products include personal, mortgage, other real estate, business, auto, and student loans. The company also offers credit and debit cards; wealth management services comprising financial solutions, financial and retirement planning, and portfolio management, as well as estate, charitable giving, and trust services; and reorder checks, safe deposit boxes, wire transfers, bill pay, and internet and mobile banking services. The company was founded in 1971 and is based in Kenbridge, Virginia.