Catalyst Bancorp (NASDAQ:CLST – Get Free Report) and First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FBNC – Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, profitability, valuation and analyst recommendations.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for Catalyst Bancorp and First Bancorp, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Catalyst Bancorp | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
| First Bancorp | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2.71 |
First Bancorp has a consensus price target of $62.95, indicating a potential upside of 3.54%. Given First Bancorp’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe First Bancorp is more favorable than Catalyst Bancorp.
Profitability
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Catalyst Bancorp | 13.09% | 2.48% | 0.72% |
| First Bancorp | 20.59% | 10.86% | 1.38% |
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares Catalyst Bancorp and First Bancorp”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Catalyst Bancorp | $23.69 million | 2.82 | $2.05 million | $0.55 | 30.03 |
| First Bancorp | $549.30 million | 4.58 | $111.05 million | $2.93 | 20.75 |
First Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than Catalyst Bancorp. First Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Catalyst Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Risk and Volatility
Catalyst Bancorp has a beta of 0.11, suggesting that its share price is 89% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Bancorp has a beta of 0.81, suggesting that its share price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
33.1% of Catalyst Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 68.4% of First Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 10.1% of Catalyst Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.0% of First Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Summary
First Bancorp beats Catalyst Bancorp on 13 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Catalyst Bancorp
Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. operates as a holding company for Catalyst Bank that provides various banking services to individuals and businesses in Louisiana. The company accepts various deposit products, including savings accounts, demand and NOW accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. It also offers single family residential first mortgage loans, commercial real estate mortgage loans, multi-family residential mortgage loans, commercial and industrial loans, construction and land loans, consumer loans, and other loans. In addition, the company invests in various types of securities comprising mortgage-backed securities, the U.S. treasury obligations, securities of various federal agencies and of state and municipal governments, certificates of deposit at federally insured banks and savings institutions, and federal funds. Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Opelousas, Louisiana.
About First Bancorp
First Bancorp operates as the bank holding company for First Bank that provides banking products and services for individuals and small to medium-sized businesses. The company accepts deposit products, such as checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as time deposits, including certificate of deposits and individual retirement accounts. It also offers loans for a range of consumer and commercial purposes comprising loans for business, real estate, personal, home improvement, and automobiles, as well as residential mortgages and small business administration loans; and accounts receivable financing and factoring, inventory financing, and purchase order financing services. In addition, the company provides credit and debit cards, letter of credits, and safe deposit box rental services, as well as electronic funds transfer services consisting of wire transfers; and internet and mobile banking, cash management, bank-by-phone services, and remote deposit capture services. Further, it offers investment and insurance products, such as mutual funds, annuities, long-term care insurance, life insurance, and company retirement plans, as well as property and casualty insurance products; and financial planning services. The company was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
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