Civista Bancshares (NASDAQ:CIVB – Get Free Report) and Ohio Valley Banc (NASDAQ:OVBC – Get Free Report) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, risk, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, profitability and institutional ownership.
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Civista Bancshares and Ohio Valley Banc”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Civista Bancshares | $254.95 million | 2.34 | $46.21 million | $2.70 | 10.61 |
| Ohio Valley Banc | $68.11 million | 2.96 | $15.60 million | $3.28 | 13.05 |
Dividends
Civista Bancshares pays an annual dividend of $0.72 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.5%. Ohio Valley Banc pays an annual dividend of $1.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.3%. Civista Bancshares pays out 26.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Ohio Valley Banc pays out 30.5% 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. Civista Bancshares has raised its dividend for 4 consecutive years and Ohio Valley Banc has raised its dividend for 3 consecutive years. Civista Bancshares is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.
Analyst Ratings
This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Civista Bancshares and Ohio Valley Banc, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Civista Bancshares | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2.43 |
| Ohio Valley Banc | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 |
Civista Bancshares currently has a consensus target price of $29.00, indicating a potential upside of 1.22%. Given Civista Bancshares’ higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe Civista Bancshares is more favorable than Ohio Valley Banc.
Profitability
This table compares Civista Bancshares and Ohio Valley Banc’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Civista Bancshares | 20.79% | 10.82% | 1.35% |
| Ohio Valley Banc | 16.05% | 9.29% | 0.98% |
Institutional and Insider Ownership
52.1% of Civista Bancshares shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 22.1% of Ohio Valley Banc shares are held by institutional investors. 1.6% of Civista Bancshares shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 7.2% of Ohio Valley Banc shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Volatility & Risk
Civista Bancshares has a beta of 0.67, indicating that its stock price is 33% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Ohio Valley Banc has a beta of 0.03, indicating that its stock price is 97% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Civista Bancshares beats Ohio Valley Banc on 12 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Civista Bancshares
Civista Bancshares, Inc. operates as the financial holding company for Civista Bank that provides community banking services. It collects a range of customer deposits; and offers commercial and agriculture, commercial and residential real estate, farm real estate, real estate construction, consumer, and other loans, as well as letters of credit. The company also holds and manages securities portfolio; leases general equipment; and provides captive insurance products. It operates in North Central, West Central, South Western Ohio, South Eastern Indiana, and Northern Kentucky. The company was formerly known as First Citizens Banc Corp and changed its name to Civista Bancshares, Inc. in May 2015. Civista Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Sandusky, Ohio.
About Ohio Valley Banc
Ohio Valley Banc Corp. operates as the bank holding company for The Ohio Valley Bank Company that provides commercial and consumer banking products and services. The company operates in two segments, Banking and Consumer Finance. It accepts various deposit products, including checking, savings, time, and money market accounts, as well as individual retirement accounts, demand deposits, NOW accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company also provides various residential real estate loans, including one-to four-family residential mortgages; commercial loans for securing equipment, inventory, stock, commercial real estate, and rental property; and consumer loans secured by automobiles, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, and other personal property, as well as personal loans, unsecured credit card receivables, floor plan and student loans, and construction loans. In addition, it offers safe deposit box, wire transfer, credit card, home equity loans, and Internet banking services; and financial management online services, such as cash management and news updates related to repossession auctions, current rates, and general bank news. Further, the company provides automatic teller machines (ATMs), consumer finance, seasonal tax preparation, commercial property, and various liability insurance services, as well as trust and online-only consumer direct mortgage services. The company owns and operates ATMs, including off-site ATMs. It operates offices in Ohio and West Virginia. The company was founded in 1872 and is based in Gallipolis, Ohio.
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