Head-To-Head Contrast: Republic First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FRBK) and S&T Bancorp (NASDAQ:STBA)

S&T Bancorp (NASDAQ:STBA) and Republic First Bancorp (NASDAQ:FRBK) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, dividends, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, earnings and analyst recommendations.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares S&T Bancorp and Republic First Bancorp’s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
S&T Bancorp	$535.52 million	2.37	$144.78 million	$3.53	9.39
Republic First Bancorp	$180.55 million	0.00	$25.18 million	N/A	N/A

S&T Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than Republic First Bancorp.

Profitability

This table compares S&T Bancorp and Republic First Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
S&T Bancorp	24.68%	10.86%	1.44%
Republic First Bancorp	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for S&T Bancorp and Republic First Bancorp, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
S&T Bancorp	0	1	0	0	2.00
Republic First Bancorp	0	0	0	0	N/A

S&T Bancorp currently has a consensus price target of $30.00, suggesting a potential downside of 9.47%. Given S&T Bancorp’s higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe S&T Bancorp is more favorable than Republic First Bancorp.

Volatility & Risk

S&T Bancorp has a beta of 0.81, indicating that its stock price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Republic First Bancorp has a beta of -0.22, indicating that its stock price is 122% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

65.2% of S&T Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 8.9% of Republic First Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.4% of S&T Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 14.4% of Republic First Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

S&T Bancorp beats Republic First Bancorp on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About S&T Bancorp

S&T Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for S&T Bank that engages in the provision of retail and commercial banking products and services. The company operates through six segments: Commercial Real Estate, Commercial and Industrial, Commercial Construction, Business Banking, Consumer Real Estate, and Other Consumer. The company accepts time and demand deposits; and offers commercial and consumer loans, cash management services, and brokerage and trust services, as well as acts as guardian and custodian of employee benefits. It also manages private investment accounts for individuals and institutions. In addition, the company distributes life insurance and long-term disability income insurance products, as well as offers title insurance agency services to commercial customers; and acts as a reinsurer of credit life, accident, and health insurance policies. S&T Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Indiana, Pennsylvania.

About Republic First Bancorp

Republic First Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Republic First Bank that provides a range of credit and depository banking products and services to individuals and businesses. It accepts consumer and commercial deposit, checking, interest-bearing demand, money market, savings, sweep, and individual retirement accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company also offers secured and unsecured commercial, real estate, construction and land development, automobile, and home improvement loans; mortgages, home equity and overdraft lines of credit, and other products; and lockbox services. Republic First Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1987 and is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.