ECB Bancorp (NASDAQ:ECBK) and Pioneer Bankshares (OTCMKTS:PNBI) Head-To-Head Comparison

Pioneer Bankshares (OTCMKTS:PNBI) and ECB Bancorp (NASDAQ:ECBK) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, dividends, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership and risk.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Pioneer Bankshares and ECB Bancorp”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Pioneer Bankshares	$19.82 million	1.52	$2.68 million	$3.08	9.74
ECB Bancorp	$68.27 million	2.21	$3.99 million	$0.79	21.58

ECB Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than Pioneer Bankshares. Pioneer Bankshares is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than ECB Bancorp, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility & Risk

Pioneer Bankshares has a beta of 0.13, meaning that its share price is 87% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ECB Bancorp has a beta of 0.47, meaning that its share price is 53% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Pioneer Bankshares and ECB Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Pioneer Bankshares	15.17%	N/A	N/A
ECB Bancorp	8.69%	3.93%	0.45%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Pioneer Bankshares and ECB Bancorp, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Pioneer Bankshares	0	0	0	0	0.00
ECB Bancorp	0	1	0	0	2.00

Institutional & Insider Ownership

30.3% of ECB Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 13.7% of Pioneer Bankshares shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 9.0% of ECB Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

ECB Bancorp beats Pioneer Bankshares on 9 of the 12 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Pioneer Bankshares

Pioneer Bankshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Pioneer Bank, Inc. that provides various banking and related financial services to individual consumers, small to medium size businesses, and professional community in the United States. The company offers various deposit products, which include business and personal checking accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit. Its personal loans comprise personal installment and single-pay, and auto loans; and business loans consists of operating capital, equipment loans, investment properties, lines of credit, business expansion, and property acquisition or construction, as well as home mortgage and home equity loans. In addition, the company provides credit and debit cards, safe deposit boxes, online and mobile banking tools, merchant services, and cash management services. Further, it offers investment products, such as individual retirement accounts, 529 college savings plans, small business investment strategies, fixed, and variable annuities. Additionally, the company provides personalized investment advisory services, as well as securities and insurance products and services. Pioneer Bankshares, Inc. was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Stanley, Virginia.

About ECB Bancorp

ECB Bancorp, Inc. operating as a holding company for Everett Co-operative Bank that provides various banking products and services. The company accepts various deposit products, including certificate of deposit accounts, IRAs, money market accounts, savings accounts, demand deposit accounts, and interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing checking accounts. It also offers one- to four-family residential real estate, commercial real estate and multifamily real estate, construction and land, commercial, and consumer loans, as well as home equity loans and lines of credit. In addition, the company invests in securities, consisting primarily of U.S. government and federal agency obligations, mortgage-backed securities, and corporate bonds. ECB Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1890 and is based in Everett, Massachusetts.