WesBanco (NASDAQ:WSBC – Get Rating) and Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:SVNLY – Get Rating) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, profitability, institutional ownership, dividends and valuation.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares WesBanco and Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ)'s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) has higher revenue and earnings than WesBanco. Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than WesBanco, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of current recommendations and price targets for WesBanco and Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ), as provided by MarketBeat.

WesBanco currently has a consensus target price of $34.67, indicating a potential downside of 3.08%. Given WesBanco's stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe WesBanco is more favorable than Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ).

Profitability

This table compares WesBanco and Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ)'s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Volatility and Risk

WesBanco has a beta of 0.92, indicating that its stock price is 8% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) has a beta of 0.81, indicating that its stock price is 19% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

58.8% of WesBanco shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.2% of Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) shares are held by institutional investors. 3.2% of WesBanco shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends

WesBanco pays an annual dividend of $1.40 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.9%. Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) pays an annual dividend of $0.19 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.7%. WesBanco pays out 46.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) pays out 34.5% 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. WesBanco has raised its dividend for 12 consecutive years. WesBanco is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Summary

WesBanco beats Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) on 10 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About WesBanco

(Get Rating)

WesBanco, Inc. is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following segments: Community Banking, and Trust and Investment Services. The Community Banking segment delivers services traditionally offered by service commercial banks, including commercial demand, individual demand, and time deposit accounts, as well as commercial, mortgage, and individual installment loans, and certain non-traditional offerings, such as insurance and securities brokerage services. The Trust and Investment Services segment includes trust services as well as alternative investment products including mutual funds. The company was founded on January 20, 1870 and is headquartered in Wheeling, WV.

About Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ)

(Get Rating)

Svenska Handelsbanken AB engages in the provision of financial and banking services. It operates through the following segments: Sweden, United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Norway, The Netherlands, Capital Markets, and Others. The Capital Markets segment refers to the investment bank, including securities trading, and investment advisory services. The company was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.

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