Reviewing Heritage NOLA Bancorp (OTCMKTS:HRGG) and Banc of California (NYSE:BANC)

Banc of California (NYSE:BANC) and Heritage NOLA Bancorp (OTCMKTS:HRGG) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, profitability, valuation, dividends, institutional ownership and analyst recommendations.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Banc of California and Heritage NOLA Bancorp”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Banc of California	$429.87 million	5.30	-$1.90 billion	($3.33)	-4.35
Heritage NOLA Bancorp	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Heritage NOLA Bancorp has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Banc of California.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

86.9% of Banc of California shares are held by institutional investors. 7.4% of Banc of California shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Banc of California and Heritage NOLA Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Banc of California	-21.99%	2.12%	0.17%
Heritage NOLA Bancorp	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Banc of California and Heritage NOLA Bancorp, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Banc of California	0	5	5	0	2.50
Heritage NOLA Bancorp	0	0	0	0	N/A

Banc of California presently has a consensus price target of $16.45, indicating a potential upside of 13.53%. Given Banc of California’s higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Banc of California is more favorable than Heritage NOLA Bancorp.

Summary

Banc of California beats Heritage NOLA Bancorp on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Banc of California

Banc of California, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Banc of California that provides various banking products and services in California. The company offers deposit products, such as checking, savings, money market, demand, and time deposits; certificates of deposit; retirement accounts; and safe deposit boxes. It also provides real estate loans to professional developers and real estate investors for the acquisition, construction, refinancing, renovation, and on-going operation of commercial real estate properties; commercial real estate mortgage, residential real estate mortgage, and real estate construction and land loans; commercial loans and leases, such as equipment finance, other asset-based, venture capital, secured business, warehouse, and other lending services; small business administration loans; and consumer loans comprising personal, auto, and other loans, as well as home equity and revolving lines of credit. In addition, the company offers international banking, multi-state deposit, and asset and investment management services, as well as cash and treasury management services; and online, mobile, remote deposit, and telephone banking services. It serves small and middle-market businesses, venture capital firms, non-profit organizations, business owners, entrepreneurs, professionals, and high-net worth individuals. Banc of California, Inc. was founded in 1941 and is headquartered in Los Angeles, California.

About Heritage NOLA Bancorp

Heritage NOLA Bancorp, Inc. operates as a holding company for Heritage Bank of St. Tammany that provides various financial services in Louisiana. Its deposit accounts include non-interest-bearing and interest-bearing demand, savings, individual retirement, and certificates of deposit. The company's loan portfolio comprises one- to four-family real estate; multi-family real estate; commercial real estate; construction and land; commercial and consumer; home equity lines of credit; and business loans, as well as refinancing and cash secured line services. In addition, it provides credit and debit cards; safe deposit boxes; merchant services; ATM services; and online and mobile banking services. Heritage NOLA Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Covington, Louisiana.