Mizuho Financial Group (NYSE:MFG – Get Rating) and Virginia National Bankshares (OTCMKTS:VABK – Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, earnings, valuation, profitability, analyst recommendations and risk.

Risk & Volatility

Mizuho Financial Group has a beta of 0.49, suggesting that its stock price is 51% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Virginia National Bankshares has a beta of 0.22, suggesting that its stock price is 78% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

0.5% of Mizuho Financial Group shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 30.3% of Virginia National Bankshares shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.0% of Mizuho Financial Group shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 12.3% of Virginia National Bankshares shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings & Valuation

Virginia National Bankshares has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Mizuho Financial Group. Virginia National Bankshares is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Mizuho Financial Group, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Dividends

Mizuho Financial Group pays an annual dividend of $0.09 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.8%. Virginia National Bankshares pays an annual dividend of $1.20 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.1%. Mizuho Financial Group pays out 30.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Virginia National Bankshares pays out 27.4% 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. Virginia National Bankshares is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and lower payout ratio.

Profitability

This table compares Mizuho Financial Group and Virginia National Bankshares' net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Mizuho Financial Group and Virginia National Bankshares, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Summary

Virginia National Bankshares beats Mizuho Financial Group on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Mizuho Financial Group

(Get Rating)

Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. operates as a holding company which engages in the provision of financial services such as banking, trust banking, securities, and others. It operates through the following segments: Mizuho Bank Ltd. (MHKB), Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. (MHTB), and Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd. (MHSC). The Mizuho Bank Ltd. segment includes personal, retail, corporate, international banking, financial institutions, public sector, and trading services. The Mizuho Trust & Banking Co., Ltd. provides services related to trust, real estate, securitization, structured finance, pension and asset management, and stock transfer agency. The Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd. offers security services to individuals, corporations, financial institutions and public sector entities. The company was founded in 1864 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

About Virginia National Bankshares

(Get Rating)

Virginia National Bankshares Corp. is a bank holding company engaged in the provision of banking and related financial services. It operates through the following segments: Bank, VNB Trust and Estate Services, Sturman Wealth Advisors, and Masonry Capital. The Bank segment includes making loans, taking deposits, and offering related services to individuals, businesses, and charitable organizations. The VNB Trust and Estate Services segment consists of corporate trustee services, trust and estate administration, IRA administration and custody services, and in-house investment management services. The Sturman Wealth Advisors segment offers wealth and investment advisory services. The Masonry Capital segment refers to the investment management services for separately managed accounts and a private investment fund. The company was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Charlottesville, VA.

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