Head-To-Head Contrast: Orange County Bancorp (NASDAQ:OBT) versus Primis Financial (NASDAQ:FRST)
by Kim Johansen · The Markets DailyPrimis Financial (NASDAQ:FRST – Get Free Report) and Orange County Bancorp (NASDAQ:OBT – Get Free Report) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, dividends and earnings.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares Primis Financial and Orange County Bancorp”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Primis Financial | $277.00 million | 1.40 | $61.44 million | $2.16 | 7.23 |
| Orange County Bancorp | $158.13 million | 3.20 | $41.61 million | $3.55 | 10.63 |
Primis Financial has higher revenue and earnings than Orange County Bancorp. Primis Financial is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Orange County Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Dividends
Primis Financial pays an annual dividend of $0.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.6%. Orange County Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $0.72 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.9%. Primis Financial pays out 18.5% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Orange County Bancorp pays out 20.3% 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. Primis Financial is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.
Profitability
This table compares Primis Financial and Orange County Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Primis Financial | 19.19% | 5.49% | 0.55% |
| Orange County Bancorp | 30.80% | 16.44% | 1.75% |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for Primis Financial and Orange County Bancorp, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Primis Financial | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3.00 |
| Orange County Bancorp | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3.00 |
Primis Financial presently has a consensus price target of $18.00, indicating a potential upside of 15.24%. Orange County Bancorp has a consensus price target of $43.25, indicating a potential upside of 14.63%. Given Primis Financial’s higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe Primis Financial is more favorable than Orange County Bancorp.
Institutional & Insider Ownership
75.0% of Primis Financial shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 42.5% of Orange County Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 10.9% of Primis Financial shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 8.2% of Orange County Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Risk & Volatility
Primis Financial has a beta of 0.73, indicating that its stock price is 27% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Orange County Bancorp has a beta of 0.42, indicating that its stock price is 58% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Primis Financial beats Orange County Bancorp on 8 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Primis Financial
Primis Financial Corp. operates as the bank holding company for Primis Bank that provides a range of financial services to individuals and small and medium sized businesses in the United States. Its deposit products include checking, NOW, savings, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposits. The company also provides commercial business and real estate, construction, secured asset based, small business administration, mortgage warehouse lending products, as well as financing for medical, dental, and veterinary businesses; residential mortgage, trust mortgage, home equity lines of credit, secured and unsecured personal, and consumer loans, as well as life insurance premium financing and demand loans. It also offers cash management services comprising investment/sweep, zero balance, and controlled disbursement accounts; and wire transfer, employer/payroll processing, night depository, depository transfer, merchant, ACH origination, and remote deposit capture services. In addition, the company provides debit cards, ATM services, notary services, and mobile and online banking. It operates full-service branches in Virginia and Maryland. The company was formerly known as Southern National Bancorp of Virginia, Inc. and changed its name to Primis Financial Corp. Primis Financial Corp. was founded in 2004 and is based in McLean, Virginia.
About Orange County Bancorp
Orange County Bancorp, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides commercial and consumer banking products and services, and trust and wealth management services to small businesses, middle-market enterprises, local municipal governments, and individuals. It accepts various deposits, including interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing demand accounts, money market deposit accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit. The company also offers commercial real estate loans, commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate construction loans, residential real estate loans, home equity loans, and consumer loans. In addition, it provides traditional trust and administration, asset management, financial planning, and wealth management services. The company operates full-service branches and loan production office in Orange, Westchester, Rockland, and Bronx counties in New York. Orange County Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1892 and is headquartered in Middletown, New York.