Bridgewater Bancshares (BWB) Competitors

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

Does the media refer more to BWB or BUSE?

In the previous week, First Busey had 10 more articles in the media than Bridgewater Bancshares. MarketBeat recorded 14 mentions for First Busey and 4 mentions for Bridgewater Bancshares. Bridgewater Bancshares' average media sentiment score of 1.23 beat First Busey's score of 1.04 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)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
First Busey	5 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	4 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Which has more volatility and risk, BWB or BUSE?

Bridgewater Bancshares has a beta of 0.54, indicating that its share price is 46% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Busey has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its share price is 23% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Is BWB or BUSE more profitable?

Bridgewater Bancshares has a net margin of 13.27% compared to First Busey's net margin of 8.32%. Bridgewater Bancshares' return on equity of 9.13% beat First Busey's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Bridgewater Bancshares	13.27%	9.13%	0.72%
First Busey	8.32%	8.46%	0.96%

Do analysts prefer BWB or BUSE?

Bridgewater Bancshares currently has a consensus price target of $18.50, suggesting a potential upside of 13.22%. First Busey has a consensus price target of $27.67, suggesting a potential upside of 14.23%. Given First Busey's higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe First Busey is more favorable than Bridgewater Bancshares.

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 stronger 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	1.77	$32.83M	$1.10	14.85
First Busey	$663.36M	3.27	$113.69M	$1.07	22.64

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 company insiders. Comparatively, 3.9% of First Busey shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

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