First Interstate BancSystem (FIBK) Competitors

First Interstate BancSystem (NASDAQ:FIBK) and Cathay General Bancorp (NASDAQ:CATY) are both mid-cap finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, media sentiment, dividends, earnings and risk.

Is FIBK or CATY more profitable?

Cathay General Bancorp has a net margin of 20.55% compared to First Interstate BancSystem's net margin of 14.93%. Cathay General Bancorp's return on equity of 10.23% beat First Interstate BancSystem's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
First Interstate BancSystem	14.93%	6.57%	0.74%
Cathay General Bancorp	20.55%	10.23%	1.25%

Does the media refer more to FIBK or CATY?

In the previous week, First Interstate BancSystem had 5 more articles in the media than Cathay General Bancorp. MarketBeat recorded 11 mentions for First Interstate BancSystem and 6 mentions for Cathay General Bancorp. First Interstate BancSystem's average media sentiment score of 0.97 beat Cathay General Bancorp's score of 0.88 indicating that First Interstate BancSystem is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
First Interstate BancSystem	4 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	4 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
Cathay General Bancorp	1 Very Positive mention(s)	1 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Which has more volatility & risk, FIBK or CATY?

First Interstate BancSystem has a beta of 0.79, indicating that its stock price is 21% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Cathay General Bancorp has a beta of 0.93, indicating that its stock price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Do analysts recommend FIBK or CATY?

First Interstate BancSystem currently has a consensus price target of $35.43, indicating a potential upside of 14.14%. Cathay General Bancorp has a consensus price target of $50.17, indicating a potential upside of 4.30%. Given First Interstate BancSystem's higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe First Interstate BancSystem is more favorable than Cathay General Bancorp.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
First Interstate BancSystem	1 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.33
Cathay General Bancorp	1 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.33

Which has preferable earnings & valuation, FIBK or CATY?

Cathay General Bancorp has lower revenue, but higher earnings than First Interstate BancSystem. Cathay General Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than First Interstate BancSystem, 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 Interstate BancSystem	$1.48B	2.20	$226M	$2.11	14.71
Cathay General Bancorp	$1.39B	2.42	$285.98M	$3.96	12.15

Do insiders & institutionals have more ownership in FIBK or CATY?

88.7% of First Interstate BancSystem shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 75.0% of Cathay General Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. 8.2% of First Interstate BancSystem shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 4.9% of Cathay General Bancorp shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Is FIBK or CATY a better dividend stock?

First Interstate BancSystem pays an annual dividend of $1.88 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.1%. Cathay General Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $1.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.8%. First Interstate BancSystem pays out 89.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Cathay General Bancorp pays out 34.3% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Summary

First Interstate BancSystem and Cathay General Bancorp tied by winning 8 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.