OptimumBank (NASDAQ:OPHC – Get Free Report) and Farmers & Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ:FMAO – Get Free Report) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, dividends, risk, valuation, profitability and analyst recommendations.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
7.4% of OptimumBank shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 24.0% of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. 18.7% of OptimumBank shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 7.3% of Farmers & Merchants Bancorp shares are held by 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.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for OptimumBank and Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| OptimumBank | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3.25 |
| Farmers & Merchants Bancorp | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2.75 |
Risk & Volatility
OptimumBank has a beta of 0.29, meaning that its stock price is 71% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has a beta of 0.8, meaning that its stock price is 20% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares OptimumBank and Farmers & Merchants Bancorp”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| OptimumBank | $58.79 million | 1.88 | $6.28 million | $0.87 | 10.04 |
| Farmers & Merchants Bancorp | $126.48 million | 3.74 | $33.31 million | $2.91 | 11.80 |
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than OptimumBank. OptimumBank is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares OptimumBank and Farmers & Merchants Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| OptimumBank | 19.62% | 14.10% | 1.31% |
| Farmers & Merchants Bancorp | 20.27% | 10.72% | 1.16% |
Summary
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp beats OptimumBank on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About OptimumBank
OptimumBank Holdings, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for OptimumBank that provides various consumer and commercial banking services to individuals and businesses. It accepts demand interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing, savings, money market, and NOW accounts, as well as time deposits, wire transfers, ACH services, and certificates of deposit. The company also offers residential and commercial real estate, multi-family real estate, land and construction loans; commercial loans are generally used for working capital purposes or for acquiring equipment, inventory, and furniture; and consumer loans for various purposes, including purchases of automobiles, recreational vehicles, boats, home improvements, lines of credit, personal, and deposit account collateralized loans. In addition, it provides Visa debit and ATM cards; cash management, notary, and night depository services; and direct deposits, money orders, cashier's checks, domestic collections, and banking by mail, as well as internet banking services. The company was founded in 2000 and is based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
About Farmers & Merchants Bancorp
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of commercial banking, retail banking, and financial services. It includes commercial, agricultural, and residential mortgages as well as consumer and credit card lending activities. The firm also offers checking account services, and savings and time deposit services. The company was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Archbold, OH.
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