Princeton National Bancorp (OTCMKTS:PNBC) versus Nicolet Bankshares (NYSE:NIC) Critical Comparison

Princeton National Bancorp (OTCMKTS:PNBC) and Nicolet Bankshares (NYSE:NIC) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk and dividends.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

43.1% of Nicolet Bankshares shares are held by institutional investors. 6.6% of Princeton National Bancorp shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 16.4% of Nicolet Bankshares shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Princeton National Bancorp and Nicolet Bankshares”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Princeton National Bancorp	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nicolet Bankshares	$418.83 million	4.10	$61.52 million	$7.86	14.36

Nicolet Bankshares has higher revenue and earnings than Princeton National Bancorp.

Profitability

This table compares Princeton National Bancorp and Nicolet Bankshares’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Princeton National Bancorp	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nicolet Bankshares	23.35%	10.56%	1.34%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Princeton National Bancorp and Nicolet Bankshares, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Princeton National Bancorp	0	0	0	0	0.00
Nicolet Bankshares	0	3	2	0	2.40

Nicolet Bankshares has a consensus target price of $106.00, indicating a potential downside of 6.09%. Given Princeton National Bancorp’s higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Princeton National Bancorp is more favorable than Nicolet Bankshares.

Summary

Nicolet Bankshares beats Princeton National Bancorp on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Princeton National Bancorp

Princeton National Bancorp, Inc. does not have significant operations. Previously it operated as a holding company for Citizens First National Bank that provided commercial banking and trust services in Illinois. The company was incorporated in 1981 and is headquartered in Princeton, Illinois.

About Nicolet Bankshares

Nicolet Bankshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Nicolet National Bank that provides banking products and services for businesses and individuals in Wisconsin and Michigan. The company accepts checking, savings, and money market accounts; various certificates of deposit; and individual retirement accounts. It also offers commercial loans, including commercial, industrial, and business loans and lines of credit; commercial real estate loans; agricultural (AG) production and AG real estate loans; commercial real estate investment real estate loans; construction and land development loans; residential real estate loans, such as residential first lien and junior lien mortgages, home equity loans, lines of credit, and residential construction loans; and consumer loans. In addition, the company provides cash management, international banking, personal brokerage, safe deposit boxes, and trust and fiduciary services, as well as wealth management and retirement plan services. Further, it offers mortgage refinancing; online services, such as commercial, retail, and trust online banking; automated bill payment, mobile banking deposits and account access, and remote deposit capture services; and other services consisting of wire transfers, debit cards, credit cards, pre-paid gift cards, direct deposits, and official bank checks, as well as facilitates crop insurance products. The company was formerly known as Green Bay Financial Corporation and changed its name to Nicolet Bankshares, Inc. in March 2002. The company was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin.