Bridgewater Bancshares (BWB) Competitors

Bridgewater Bancshares (NASDAQ:BWB) and First Busey (NASDAQ:BUSE) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings, media sentiment and risk.

Does the media refer more to BWB or BUSE?

In the previous week, First Busey had 9 more articles in the media than Bridgewater Bancshares. MarketBeat recorded 13 mentions for First Busey and 4 mentions for Bridgewater Bancshares. Bridgewater Bancshares' average media sentiment score of 0.91 beat First Busey's score of 0.36 indicating that Bridgewater Bancshares is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Bridgewater Bancshares	2 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	0 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
First Busey	6 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	1 Negative mention(s)	3 Very Negative mention(s)	Neutral

Do institutionals and insiders hold more shares of BWB or BUSE?

65.8% of Bridgewater Bancshares shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 56.5% of First Busey shares are held by institutional investors. 23.3% of Bridgewater Bancshares shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 3.9% of First Busey shares are held 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.

Which has better valuation and earnings, BWB or BUSE?

First Busey has higher revenue and earnings than Bridgewater Bancshares. Bridgewater Bancshares is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than First Busey, 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
Bridgewater Bancshares	$253.27M	1.65	$32.83M	$1.22	12.48
First Busey	$663.36M	3.01	$113.69M	$1.12	19.92

Do analysts rate BWB or BUSE?

Bridgewater Bancshares presently has a consensus target price of $20.00, suggesting a potential upside of 31.32%. First Busey has a consensus target price of $27.17, suggesting a potential upside of 21.77%. Given Bridgewater Bancshares' stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Bridgewater Bancshares is more favorable than First Busey.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Bridgewater Bancshares	0 Sell rating(s)	0 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00
First Busey	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.50

Which has more risk & volatility, BWB or BUSE?

Bridgewater Bancshares has a beta of 0.58, meaning that its share price is 42% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Busey has a beta of 0.81, meaning that its share price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Is BWB or BUSE more profitable?

Bridgewater Bancshares has a net margin of 14.03% compared to First Busey's net margin of 9.48%. First Busey's return on equity of 9.76% beat Bridgewater Bancshares' return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Bridgewater Bancshares	14.03%	9.73%	0.77%
First Busey	9.48%	9.76%	1.11%

Summary

First Busey beats Bridgewater Bancshares on 9 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.