Bank of Marin Bancorp (NASDAQ:BMRC – Get Free Report) and AmeriServ Financial (NASDAQ:ASRV – Get Free Report) 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, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, valuation and earnings.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
52.3% of Bank of Marin Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 31.5% of AmeriServ Financial shares are held by institutional investors. 4.9% of Bank of Marin Bancorp shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 7.9% of AmeriServ Financial shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent ratings for Bank of Marin Bancorp and AmeriServ Financial, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Bank of Marin Bancorp | 0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2.29 |
| AmeriServ Financial | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3.00 |
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Bank of Marin Bancorp and AmeriServ Financial”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Bank of Marin Bancorp | $163.98 million | 2.76 | -$35.67 million | ($0.91) | -30.77 |
| AmeriServ Financial | $88.34 million | 0.87 | $5.61 million | $0.51 | 8.88 |
AmeriServ Financial has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Bank of Marin Bancorp. Bank of Marin Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than AmeriServ Financial, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Bank of Marin Bancorp and AmeriServ Financial’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Bank of Marin Bancorp | -7.98% | 8.51% | 0.89% |
| AmeriServ Financial | 9.51% | 7.13% | 0.58% |
Risk and Volatility
Bank of Marin Bancorp has a beta of 0.78, indicating that its share price is 22% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, AmeriServ Financial has a beta of 0.44, indicating that its share price is 56% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Dividends
Bank of Marin Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $1.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. AmeriServ Financial pays an annual dividend of $0.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%. Bank of Marin Bancorp pays out -109.9% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. AmeriServ Financial pays out 23.5% 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. Bank of Marin Bancorp is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.
Summary
Bank of Marin Bancorp beats AmeriServ Financial on 10 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Bank of Marin Bancorp
Bank of Marin Bancorp operates as the holding company for Bank of Marin that provides a range of financial services primarily to small to medium-sized businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and commercial real estate investors in the United States. The company offers personal and business checking and savings accounts; and individual retirement, health savings, and demand deposit marketplace accounts, as well as time certificates of deposit, certificate of deposit account registry, and insured cash sweep services. It also provides commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, and consumer loans, as well as construction financing and home equity lines of credit. In addition, the company offers merchant and payroll services; commercial equipment leasing program; payment solutions; treasury management services; credit cards; and mobile deposit, remote deposit capture, automated clearing house, wire transfer, and image lockbox services. Further, it provides wealth management and trust services comprising customized investment portfolio management, financial planning, trust administration, estate settlement, and custody services, as well as 401(k) plan services; and automated teller machines, and telephone and digital banking services. The company was incorporated in 1989 and is headquartered in Novato, California.
About AmeriServ Financial
AmeriServ Financial, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of consumer, mortgage and commercial financial products and services through its subsidiary. It operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wealth Management, and Investment or Parent. The Community Banking segment includes both retail and commercial banking activities. The Wealth Management segment involves in the operations of a Trust Company, West Chester Capital Advisors an investment advisory firm, and Financial Services. The Investment or Parent segment offers investment securities, borrowing activities, and general corporate expenses. The company was founded in January 1983 and is headquartered in Johnstown, PA.
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