Equity Bancshares (EQBK) Competitors

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

Does the media favor BUSE or EQBK?

In the previous week, Equity Bancshares had 2 more articles in the media than First Busey. MarketBeat recorded 5 mentions for Equity Bancshares and 3 mentions for First Busey. First Busey's average media sentiment score of 1.04 beat Equity Bancshares' score of 0.76 indicating that First Busey is being referred to more favorably in the media.

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

Is BUSE or EQBK more profitable?

Equity Bancshares has a net margin of 18.66% compared to First Busey's net margin of 9.48%. Equity Bancshares' return on equity of 14.64% beat First Busey's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
First Busey	9.48%	8.76%	1.04%
Equity Bancshares	18.66%	14.64%	1.31%

Which has more volatility & risk, BUSE or EQBK?

First Busey has a beta of 0.77, indicating that its share price is 23% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Equity Bancshares has a beta of 0.82, indicating that its share price is 18% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Do analysts recommend BUSE or EQBK?

First Busey currently has a consensus price target of $27.33, indicating a potential upside of 16.41%. Equity Bancshares has a consensus price target of $50.40, indicating a potential upside of 20.67%. Given Equity Bancshares' stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Equity Bancshares is more favorable than First Busey.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
First Busey	0 Sell rating(s)	4 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.43
Equity Bancshares	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.50

Is BUSE or EQBK a better dividend stock?

First Busey pays an annual dividend of $1.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.3%. Equity Bancshares pays an annual dividend of $0.72 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.7%. First Busey pays out 89.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Equity Bancshares pays out 60.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. First Busey has increased its dividend for 10 consecutive years and Equity Bancshares has increased its dividend for 3 consecutive years. First Busey is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Do insiders & institutionals have more ownership in BUSE or EQBK?

56.5% of First Busey shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 71.8% of Equity Bancshares shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.9% of First Busey shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 6.6% of Equity Bancshares shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Which has higher earnings & valuation, BUSE or EQBK?

First Busey has higher revenue and earnings than Equity Bancshares. First Busey is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Equity Bancshares, 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 Busey	$663.36M	3.15	$113.69M	$1.12	20.96
Equity Bancshares	$192.21M	4.18	$62.62M	$1.20	34.81

Summary

Equity Bancshares beats First Busey on 12 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.