BayFirst Financial (NASDAQ:BAFN – Get Free Report) and Civista Bancshares (NASDAQ:CIVB – Get Free Report) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, valuation, institutional ownership and dividends.
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares BayFirst Financial and Civista Bancshares”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| BayFirst Financial | $104.19 million | 1.76 | -$22.94 million | ($14.88) | -0.46 |
| Civista Bancshares | $254.95 million | 2.26 | $46.21 million | $2.70 | 10.29 |
Insider and Institutional Ownership
16.9% of BayFirst Financial shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 52.1% of Civista Bancshares shares are owned by institutional investors. 56.6% of BayFirst Financial shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 1.6% of Civista Bancshares shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for BayFirst Financial and Civista Bancshares, as provided by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| BayFirst Financial | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 |
| Civista Bancshares | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2.50 |
Civista Bancshares has a consensus price target of $30.25, indicating a potential upside of 8.93%. Given Civista Bancshares’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Civista Bancshares is more favorable than BayFirst Financial.
Risk & Volatility
BayFirst Financial has a beta of 0.53, suggesting that its share price is 47% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Civista Bancshares has a beta of 0.65, suggesting that its share price is 35% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares BayFirst Financial and Civista Bancshares’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| BayFirst Financial | -80.74% | -101.15% | -4.83% |
| Civista Bancshares | 20.79% | 10.65% | 1.35% |
Summary
Civista Bancshares beats BayFirst Financial on 13 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About BayFirst Financial
BayFirst Financial Corp. operates as the bank holding company for BayFirst National Bank that provides community banking services for businesses and individuals. The company offers checking, savings, NOW, and money market deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit and individual retirement account; and safety deposit boxes. It also provides commercial real estate mortgages; construction and development, working capital, and business loans; auto, boat, and recreational vehicle loans; and residential mortgages, personal lines of credit, and home equity lines of credit. In addition, the company offers mobile and online banking, treasury management, wire transfers, cash management, merchant processing, remote deposit capture, night depositor, online bill payment, courier, retail investment, ACH originations, and other services. It operates full-service banking centers in St. Petersburg, Seminole, Pinellas Park, Clearwater, Sarasota, Tampa, Belleair Bluffs, and Bradenton, Florida. The company was formerly known as First Home Bancorp, Inc. and changed its name to BayFirst Financial Corp. in May 2021. BayFirst Financial Corp. was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Florida.
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.
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