CNB Financial (CCNE) Competitors

First Financial (NASDAQ:THFF) and CNB Financial (NASDAQ:CCNE) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, risk, earnings, dividends, media sentiment, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability and community ranking.

Does the media favor THFF or CCNE?

In the previous week, CNB Financial had 2 more articles in the media than First Financial. MarketBeat recorded 5 mentions for CNB Financial and 3 mentions for First Financial. CNB Financial's average media sentiment score of 1.67 beat First Financial's score of 1.34 indicating that First Financial is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
First Financial	1 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Very Positive
CNB Financial	1 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Is THFF or CCNE more profitable?

First Financial has a net margin of 20.16% compared to First Financial's net margin of 15.96%. CNB Financial's return on equity of 11.04% beat First Financial's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
First Financial	20.16%	11.04%	1.15%
CNB Financial	15.96%	10.73%	0.94%

Which has stronger valuation and earnings, THFF or CCNE?

First Financial has higher earnings, but lower revenue than CNB Financial. First Financial is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than CNB Financial, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Company	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
First Financial	$271.10M	1.62	$60.67M	$4.69	7.91
CNB Financial	$327.03M	1.26	$58.02M	$2.38	8.25

Is THFF or CCNE a better dividend stock?

First Financial pays an annual dividend of $1.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.9%. CNB Financial pays an annual dividend of $0.70 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.6%. First Financial pays out 38.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. CNB Financial pays out 29.4% 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.

Do insiders & institutionals have more ownership in THFF or CCNE?

72.7% of First Financial shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 52.4% of CNB Financial shares are held by institutional investors. 4.1% of First Financial shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 2.9% of CNB Financial shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Does the MarketBeat Community prefer THFF or CCNE?

First Financial received 67 more outperform votes than CNB Financial when rated by MarketBeat users. Likewise, 61.66% of users gave First Financial an outperform vote while only 60.62% of users gave CNB Financial an outperform vote.

Company	Underperform	Outperform
First Financial	Outperform Votes 341 61.66%	Underperform Votes 212 38.34%
CNB Financial	Outperform Votes 274 60.62%	Underperform Votes 178 39.38%

Do analysts rate THFF or CCNE?

First Financial currently has a consensus price target of $43.00, suggesting a potential upside of 15.87%. CNB Financial has a consensus price target of $22.00, suggesting a potential upside of 12.07%. Given CNB Financial's higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe First Financial is more favorable than CNB Financial.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
First Financial	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.00
CNB Financial	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	0 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.00

Which has more risk & volatility, THFF or CCNE?

First Financial has a beta of 0.52, indicating that its stock price is 48% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, CNB Financial has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its stock price is 23% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

First Financial beats CNB Financial on 13 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.