First Bank (FRBA) Competitors

Ameris Bancorp (NASDAQ:ABCB) and First Bank (NASDAQ:FRBA) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, dividends, risk, profitability, media sentiment, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Which has more risk and volatility, ABCB or FRBA?

Ameris Bancorp has a beta of 0.94, indicating that its share price is 6% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Bank has a beta of 0.78, indicating that its share price is 22% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Does the media favor ABCB or FRBA?

In the previous week, Ameris Bancorp had 10 more articles in the media than First Bank. MarketBeat recorded 23 mentions for Ameris Bancorp and 13 mentions for First Bank. Ameris Bancorp's average media sentiment score of 0.96 beat First Bank's score of 0.85 indicating that Ameris Bancorp is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Ameris Bancorp	8 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	8 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
First Bank	3 Very Positive mention(s)	2 Positive mention(s)	3 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Do analysts prefer ABCB or FRBA?

Ameris Bancorp presently has a consensus price target of $72.14, indicating a potential downside of 2.47%. First Bank has a consensus price target of $17.83, indicating a potential upside of 13.37%. Given First Bank's higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe First Bank is more favorable than Ameris Bancorp.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Ameris Bancorp	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	5 Buy rating(s)	1 Strong Buy rating(s)	3.00
First Bank	0 Sell rating(s)	1 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.75

Do institutionals and insiders believe in ABCB or FRBA?

91.6% of Ameris Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 64.9% of First Bank shares are owned by institutional investors. 5.4% of Ameris Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 13.1% of First Bank shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Is ABCB or FRBA more profitable?

Ameris Bancorp has a net margin of 21.46% compared to First Bank's net margin of 17.27%. First Bank's return on equity of 10.12% beat Ameris Bancorp's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Ameris Bancorp	21.46%	9.57%	1.32%
First Bank	17.27%	10.12%	1.08%

Which has better earnings and valuation, ABCB or FRBA?

Ameris Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than First Bank. First Bank is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ameris Bancorp, 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
Ameris Bancorp	$1.13B	4.51	$358.68M	$5.68	13.02
First Bank	$229.43M	N/A	$42.24M	$1.66	9.48

Is ABCB or FRBA a better dividend stock?

Ameris Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $0.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. First Bank pays an annual dividend of $0.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.5%. Ameris Bancorp pays out 14.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. First Bank pays out 14.5% 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.

Summary

Ameris Bancorp beats First Bank on 14 of the 18 factors compared between the two stocks.