Comparing Amerant Bancorp (NYSE:AMTB) & Capital City Bank Group (NASDAQ:CCBG)

Capital City Bank Group (NASDAQ:CCBG) and Amerant Bancorp (NYSE:AMTB) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, risk and analyst recommendations.

Dividends

Capital City Bank Group pays an annual dividend of $1.08 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. Amerant Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $0.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.2%. Capital City Bank Group pays out 29.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Amerant Bancorp pays out 21.3% 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. Capital City Bank Group has increased its dividend for 11 consecutive years. Capital City Bank Group is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Volatility and Risk

Capital City Bank Group has a beta of 0.33, suggesting that its share price is 67% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Amerant Bancorp has a beta of 0.8, suggesting that its share price is 20% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Capital City Bank Group and Amerant Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Capital City Bank Group	21.85%	11.12%	1.42%
Amerant Bancorp	10.63%	9.57%	0.86%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Capital City Bank Group and Amerant Bancorp”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Capital City Bank Group	$245.87 million	3.54	$61.56 million	$3.66	13.91
Amerant Bancorp	$396.73 million	3.00	$52.42 million	$1.69	17.94

Capital City Bank Group has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Amerant Bancorp. Capital City Bank Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Amerant Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Capital City Bank Group and Amerant Bancorp, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Capital City Bank Group	0	3	0	1	2.50
Amerant Bancorp	0	3	3	0	2.50

Capital City Bank Group presently has a consensus target price of $51.75, suggesting a potential upside of 1.67%. Amerant Bancorp has a consensus target price of $30.25, suggesting a potential downside of 0.25%. Given Capital City Bank Group’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Capital City Bank Group is more favorable than Amerant Bancorp.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

44.6% of Capital City Bank Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 42.1% of Amerant Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 19.8% of Capital City Bank Group shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 2.7% of Amerant Bancorp shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Capital City Bank Group beats Amerant Bancorp on 12 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Capital City Bank Group

Capital City Bank Group, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida. Founded in 1895, it provides banking and related financial services through its principal subsidiary, Capital City Bank. The company serves individuals, businesses and organizations with deposit accounts, consumer and commercial loans, mortgages, treasury and cash-management services, and online and mobile banking. It also offers trust, investment and wealth-management services. Capital City Bank Group serves communities in Florida, Georgia and Alabama.

About Amerant Bancorp

Amerant Bancorp Inc. is a bank holding company whose principal subsidiary, Amerant Bank, N.A., provides commercial and consumer banking services. Its offerings include deposit accounts, business and personal loans, treasury management, and wealth management services. The company serves individuals, businesses, and other organizations, with a presence in Florida and Texas. Its banking activities also serve clients with international ties, including customers in Latin America. Amerant adopted its current name in 2018, when its former parent company, Mercantil Bank Holding Corporation, rebranded as Amerant Bancorp and its bank subsidiary became Amerant Bank.