Catalyst Bancorp (NASDAQ:CLST – Get Rating) and First Capital (NASDAQ:FCAP – Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, risk, profitability and dividends.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
20.0% of Catalyst Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 10.5% of First Capital shares are owned by institutional investors. 3.6% of Catalyst Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.3% of First Capital 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.
Get Catalyst Bancorp alerts:Volatility & Risk
Catalyst Bancorp has a beta of -0.01, suggesting that its stock price is 101% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Capital has a beta of 0.22, suggesting that its stock price is 78% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Profitability
This table compares Catalyst Bancorp and First Capital's net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Catalyst Bancorp | 4.16% | 0.45% | 0.15% |
| First Capital | 28.43% | 13.79% | 1.02% |
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Catalyst Bancorp and First Capital's revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Catalyst Bancorp | $9.19 million | 5.97 | $180,000.00 | $0.10 | 108.51 |
| First Capital | $41.87 million | 1.94 | $11.90 million | $3.54 | 6.84 |
First Capital has higher revenue and earnings than Catalyst Bancorp. First Capital is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Catalyst Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current recommendations for Catalyst Bancorp and First Capital, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Catalyst Bancorp | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
| First Capital | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
Summary
First Capital beats Catalyst Bancorp on 8 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Catalyst Bancorp
(Get Rating)
Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. operates as a holding company for Catalyst Bank that provides commercial and retail banking products. The company accepts various deposit products, including savings accounts, demand and NOW accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. It also offers single-family residential first mortgage loans, commercial real estate mortgage loans, multi-family residential mortgage loans, commercial and industrial loans, construction and land loans, consumer loans, and other loans. In addition, the company invests in various types of securities comprising mortgage-backed securities, the U.S. treasury obligations, securities of various federal agencies and of state and municipal governments, certificates of deposit at federally insured banks and savings institutions, and federal funds. It operates through six full-service branches located in Carencro, Eunice, Lafayette, Opelousas, and Port Barre. The company was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Opelousas, Louisiana.
About First Capital
(Get Rating)
First Capital, Inc. operates as a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of commercial and business banking services. Its loan portfolio includes residential real estate, land, construction, commercial real estate and business, home equity and second mortgage, and other consumer loans. The company was founded on September 11, 1998 and is headquartered in Corydon, IN.
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