Head to Head Comparison: Carver Bancorp (NASDAQ:CARV) vs. Nicolet Bankshares (NYSE:NIC)
by Michael Walen · The Markets DailyCarver Bancorp (NASDAQ:CARV – Get Free Report) and Nicolet Bankshares (NYSE:NIC – Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, risk, dividends, valuation, earnings, institutional ownership and profitability.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
18.2% of Carver Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 43.1% of Nicolet Bankshares shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.3% of Carver Bancorp shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 7.2% of Nicolet Bankshares shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Carver Bancorp and Nicolet Bankshares”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Carver Bancorp | $22.74 million | 0.48 | -$13.74 million | ($1.36) | -1.26 |
| Nicolet Bankshares | $519.43 million | 6.77 | $150.69 million | $8.81 | 19.04 |
Nicolet Bankshares has higher revenue and earnings than Carver Bancorp. Carver Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Nicolet Bankshares, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares Carver Bancorp and Nicolet Bankshares’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Carver Bancorp | -34.89% | -171.55% | -1.82% |
| Nicolet Bankshares | 21.77% | 11.36% | 1.62% |
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent ratings for Carver Bancorp and Nicolet Bankshares, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Carver Bancorp | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.00 |
| Nicolet Bankshares | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2.86 |
Nicolet Bankshares has a consensus price target of $183.00, indicating a potential upside of 9.07%. Given Nicolet Bankshares’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Nicolet Bankshares is more favorable than Carver Bancorp.
Risk & Volatility
Carver Bancorp has a beta of 1.41, meaning that its share price is 41% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Nicolet Bankshares has a beta of 0.64, meaning that its share price is 36% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Nicolet Bankshares beats Carver Bancorp on 14 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Carver Bancorp
Carver Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Carver Federal Savings Bank that provides consumer and commercial banking services for consumers, businesses, non-profit organizations, and governmental and quasi-governmental agencies primarily in New York. It accepts various deposit products, including demand, savings, and time deposits; passbook and statement accounts, and certificates of deposit; and individual retirement accounts. The company provides lending products, such as one-to-four family residential, multifamily real estate, and commercial real estate lending; and construction, business and small business administration, and consumer and other loans. In addition, it offers other consumer and commercial banking products and services, including debit cards, online account opening and banking, online bill pay, and telephone banking, as well as check cashing, wire transfer, bill payment, reloadable prepaid card, and money order services. Carver Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
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.