Peoples Bancorp (NASDAQ:PEBO) versus BNCCORP (OTCMKTS:BNCC) Financial Comparison

BNCCORP (OTCMKTS:BNCC) and Peoples Bancorp (NASDAQ:PEBO) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends, institutional ownership and risk.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares BNCCORP and Peoples Bancorp”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
BNCCORP	$52.44 million	2.36	$7.93 million	$2.50	13.92
Peoples Bancorp	$620.14 million	1.80	$117.21 million	$2.86	10.91

Peoples Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than BNCCORP. Peoples Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than BNCCORP, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current ratings for BNCCORP and Peoples Bancorp, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
BNCCORP	0	0	0	0	0.00
Peoples Bancorp	0	4	2	0	2.33

Peoples Bancorp has a consensus price target of $33.13, indicating a potential upside of 6.14%. Given Peoples Bancorp’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Peoples Bancorp is more favorable than BNCCORP.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

60.7% of Peoples Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 28.4% of BNCCORP shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 3.4% of Peoples Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares BNCCORP and Peoples Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
BNCCORP	15.94%	8.95%	0.91%
Peoples Bancorp	16.57%	9.35%	1.14%

Risk and Volatility

BNCCORP has a beta of 0.36, meaning that its share price is 64% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Peoples Bancorp has a beta of 0.65, meaning that its share price is 35% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Peoples Bancorp beats BNCCORP on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About BNCCORP

BNCCORP, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for BNC National Bank that provides community banking, retail and mortgage banking, and wealth management services to businesses and consumers. The company offers commercial banking services, including business financing, commercial real estate lending, small business administration loans, business checking, cash management, corporate credit cards, and merchant services to small to middle-market businesses. It also provides retail and mortgage banking services, such as personal checking and savings products, personal loans, and card services; and residential loans through a consumer direct channel, as well as a retail channel. In addition, the company offers wealth management solutions, including 401(k) and other retirement plans, trust services, and personal wealth advisory services. It offers community banking and wealth management services through 11 locations in Arizona and North Dakota; and mortgage banking services through 7 locations in Arizona, North Dakota, Illinois, and Kansas. The company was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota.

About Peoples Bancorp

Peoples Bancorp Inc. operates as the holding company for Peoples Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking products and services. The company accepts various deposit products, including demand deposit accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and governmental deposits; and provides commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, construction, finance, residential real estate, and consumer indirect and direct loans, as well as home equity lines of credit and overdrafts. It also offers debit and automated teller machine (ATM) cards; safe deposit rental facilities; money orders and cashier’s checks; and telephone, mobile, and online banking services. In addition, the company provides various life, health, and property and casualty insurance products; third-party insurance administration; interactive teller machines; insurance premium financing; check deposit and alert notification; commercial and technology equipment leasing; fiduciary and trust; underwriting, origination, and servicing of equipment leases, and equipment financing agreements; and asset management and administration services, as well as employee benefit, retirement, and health care plan administration services. Further, it offers brokerage services through an unaffiliated registered broker-dealers; insurance premium finance lending and leasing; and credit cards to individuals and businesses, as well as provides merchant credit card transaction processing, and person-to-person payment processing services. Peoples Bancorp Inc. was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Marietta, Ohio.