Comparing First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) & Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ:SBCF)

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ:SBCF) and First Community Bancshares (NASDAQ:FCBC) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, institutional ownership, profitability, dividends, risk and analyst recommendations.

Dividends

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida pays an annual dividend of $0.76 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.5%. First Community Bancshares pays an annual dividend of $1.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.7%. Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida pays out 45.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. First Community Bancshares pays out 46.1% 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. Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida has raised its dividend for 4 consecutive years and First Community Bancshares has raised its dividend for 13 consecutive years. First Community Bancshares is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Profitability

This table compares Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida and First Community Bancshares’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida	16.93%	7.16%	1.02%
First Community Bancshares	26.76%	9.83%	1.55%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida and First Community Bancshares”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida	$582.24 million	5.19	$120.99 million	$1.69	18.28
First Community Bancshares	$155.39 million	3.90	$51.60 million	$2.69	12.30

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

Institutional & Insider Ownership

81.8% of Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 35.0% of First Community Bancshares shares are held by institutional investors. 1.6% of Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 3.7% of First Community Bancshares shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility and Risk

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida has a beta of 1.01, meaning that its stock price is 1% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Community Bancshares has a beta of 0.65, meaning that its stock price is 35% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida and First Community Bancshares, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida	0	4	2	1	2.57
First Community Bancshares	0	1	0	0	2.00

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida presently has a consensus price target of $31.50, indicating a potential upside of 1.98%. Given Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida is more favorable than First Community Bancshares.

Summary

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida beats First Community Bancshares on 11 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida

Seacoast Banking Corp. of Florida is a financial holding company, which engages in the provision of integrated financial services. It provides banking and investment services to businesses and consumers, including personal and business deposit products, Internet and mobile banking, personal, commercial and mortgage loans, wealth management services, and treasury management solutions. The company was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Stuart, FL.

About First Community Bancshares

First Community Bankshares, Inc. operates as the financial holding company for First Community Bank that provides various banking products and services. It offers demand deposit accounts, savings and money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement plans; and commercial, consumer real estate, and consumer and other loans. The company also provides trust management, estate administration, and investment advisory services; and investment management services. It serves individuals and businesses across various industries, such as education, government, and health services; coal mining and gas extraction; retail trade; construction; manufacturing; tourism; and transportation. The company operates through branches in West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Community Bankshares, Inc. was founded in 1874 and is headquartered in Bluefield, Virginia.