Peoples Bancorp (PEBO) Competitors

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

Does the media refer more to PEBO or BUSE?

In the previous week, First Busey had 8 more articles in the media than Peoples Bancorp. MarketBeat recorded 16 mentions for First Busey and 8 mentions for Peoples Bancorp. Peoples Bancorp's average media sentiment score of 1.33 beat First Busey's score of 1.05 indicating that Peoples Bancorp is being referred to more favorably in the media.

Company	Very Positive	Positive	Neutral	Negative	Very Negative	Overall Sentiment
Peoples Bancorp	5 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	1 Neutral mention(s)	0 Negative mention(s)	0 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive
First Busey	6 Very Positive mention(s)	0 Positive mention(s)	2 Neutral mention(s)	2 Negative mention(s)	1 Very Negative mention(s)	Positive

Is PEBO or BUSE more profitable?

Peoples Bancorp has a net margin of 16.88% compared to First Busey's net margin of 9.48%. First Busey's return on equity of 9.76% beat Peoples Bancorp's return on equity.

Company	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Peoples Bancorp	16.88%	9.52%	1.16%
First Busey	9.48%	9.76%	1.11%

Which has higher valuation and earnings, PEBO or BUSE?

Peoples Bancorp has higher earnings, but lower revenue than First Busey. Peoples Bancorp 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
Peoples Bancorp	$620.14M	1.62	$117.21M	$2.92	9.64
First Busey	$663.36M	2.99	$113.69M	$1.12	19.76

Do analysts rate PEBO or BUSE?

Peoples Bancorp presently has a consensus price target of $35.25, indicating a potential upside of 25.18%. First Busey has a consensus price target of $27.17, indicating a potential upside of 22.76%. Given Peoples Bancorp's higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Peoples Bancorp is more favorable than First Busey.

Company	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Peoples Bancorp	0 Sell rating(s)	2 Hold rating(s)	2 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.50
First Busey	0 Sell rating(s)	3 Hold rating(s)	3 Buy rating(s)	0 Strong Buy rating(s)	2.50

Do institutionals and insiders believe in PEBO or BUSE?

60.7% of Peoples Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 56.5% of First Busey shares are held by institutional investors. 3.4% of Peoples Bancorp 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 hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Which has more risk and volatility, PEBO or BUSE?

Peoples Bancorp has a beta of 0.67, meaning that its share price is 33% 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 PEBO or BUSE a better dividend stock?

Peoples Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $1.64 per share and has a dividend yield of 5.8%. First Busey pays an annual dividend of $1.00 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.5%. Peoples Bancorp pays out 56.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. 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. Peoples Bancorp has increased its dividend for 10 consecutive years and First Busey has increased its dividend for 10 consecutive years. Peoples Bancorp is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Summary

Peoples Bancorp beats First Busey on 9 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.