Financial Contrast: BV Financial (NASDAQ:BVFL) vs. First Bancorp, Inc (ME) (NASDAQ:FNLC)

First Bancorp, Inc (ME) (NASDAQ:FNLC) and BV Financial (NASDAQ:BVFL) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, risk, valuation and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares First Bancorp, Inc (ME) and BV Financial’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
First Bancorp, Inc (ME)	17.39%	11.60%	0.95%
BV Financial	21.08%	6.59%	1.45%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

40.4% of First Bancorp, Inc (ME) shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 42.7% of BV Financial shares are owned by institutional investors. 5.1% of First Bancorp, Inc (ME) shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 11.8% of BV Financial shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares First Bancorp, Inc (ME) and BV Financial”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
First Bancorp, Inc (ME)	$165.19 million	1.76	$27.05 million	$2.68	9.65
BV Financial	$49.20 million	3.17	$11.72 million	$1.03	15.24

First Bancorp, Inc (ME) has higher revenue and earnings than BV Financial. First Bancorp, Inc (ME) is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than BV Financial, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for First Bancorp, Inc (ME) and BV Financial, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
First Bancorp, Inc (ME)	0	1	0	0	2.00
BV Financial	0	1	0	0	2.00

Risk and Volatility

First Bancorp, Inc (ME) has a beta of 0.56, meaning that its stock price is 44% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, BV Financial has a beta of 0.46, meaning that its stock price is 54% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

BV Financial beats First Bancorp, Inc (ME) on 6 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About First Bancorp, Inc (ME)

The First Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for First National Bank that provides a range of banking products and services to individuals and businesses. It offers various deposit products, including demand, NOW, time, savings, money market, and certificates of deposit accounts. The company also provides commercial loans comprising commercial real estate owner occupied, such as mortgage loans to finance investments in real property such as retail space, offices, industrial buildings, hotels, educational facilities, and other specific or mixed use properties; commercial real estate non-owner occupied loans; commercial construction to finance construction in a mix of owner- and nonowner occupied commercial real estate properties; and commercial and industrial loans, including revolving and term loan for financing working capital and/or capital investment. In addition, it offers commercial multifamily loans; residential real estate term and residential real estate construction loans; loans to municipalities in Maine for capitalized expenditures, construction projects, or tax anticipation notes; home equity revolving and term loans; and personal lines of credit and amortizing loans for various purposes, such as autos, recreational vehicles, debt consolidation, personal expenses, or overdraft protection. Further, the company offers private banking, financial planning, investment management, and trust services to individuals, businesses, non-profit organizations and municipalities; and brokerage, annuity, and various insurance products, as well as payment processing services. It operates through full-service banking offices in Lincoln, Knox, Waldo, Penobscot, Hancock, and Washington counties in the Mid-Coast, Eastern, and Down East regions of Maine. The company was formerly known as First National Lincoln Corporation and changed its name to The First Bancorp, Inc. in April 2008. The First Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1864 and is based in Damariscotta, Maine.

About BV Financial

BV Financial, Inc. operates as the holding company for BayVanguard Bank that provides various financial services to individuals and businesses in Maryland. The company offers checking and money market accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposits. Its loan products include real estate, home equity, construction, lot, auto, boat, and other personal loans; and commercial lending products, such as commercial equipment/installation, commercial real estate, construction, investment real estate, lines of credit, and SBA loans, as well as loans for short-term real estate purchase, renovation, and sale projects. The company offers ATM, overdraft, safe deposit, bill pay, remote deposit capture, ACH origination, merchant, and online banking services. BV Financial, Inc. was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland.