Ohio Valley Banc (NASDAQ:OVBC) and Santa Cruz County Bank (OTCMKTS:SCZC) Critical Contrast

Santa Cruz County Bank (OTCMKTS: SCZC – Get a rating) and Ohio Valley Bench (NASDAQ: OVBC – Get a rating) are both small cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We’ll compare the two companies based on their dividend strength, valuation, profitability, earnings, risk, institutional ownership, and analyst recommendations.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Santa Cruz County Bank and Ohio Valley Banc, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Profitability

This table compares the net margins, return on equity, and return on assets of Santa Cruz County Bank and Ohio Valley Bank.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

5.5% of the shares of Santa Cruz County Bank are held by institutional investors. By comparison, 13.6% of Ohio Valley Banc shares are held by institutional investors. 3.6% of Ohio Valley Banc shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership indicates that endowments, hedge funds, and large fund managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation and benefits

This chart compares the gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS), and valuation of Santa Cruz County Bank and Ohio Valley Banc.

The Santa Cruz County Bank has higher revenues and profits than the Ohio Valley Bank. Santa Cruz County Bank is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Ohio Valley Banc, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility and risk

Santa Cruz County Bank has a beta of 0.92, suggesting that its stock price is 8% less volatile than the S&P 500. By comparison, Ohio Valley Banc has a beta of 0.23, suggesting that the its share price is 77% less volatile than the S&P 500. .

Dividends

The Santa Cruz County Bank pays an annual dividend of $0.36 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.7%. Ohio Valley Banc pays an annual dividend of $0.84 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.9%. The Santa Cruz County Bank pays 14.7% of its profits as a dividend. Ohio Valley Banc pays 32.6% of its profits as a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings over the next few years.

Summary

Ohio Valley Banc beats Santa Cruz County Bank on 7 of 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

Santa Cruz County Bank Company Profile (Get a rating)

The Santa Cruz County Bank offers a range of commercial and personal banking services to residents and businesses. The Company’s deposit products include checking, savings, term certificate, money market and health savings accounts; and IRA and Certificate of Deposits. It also offers lending products including commercial, multi-family, agricultural, construction, wine industry, venture banking, small business administration, business and industry, agency agricultural services, municipalities, government guarantees and installment loans, as well as loans backed by family residential real estate, commercial real estate financing and lines of credit. Additionally, the Company provides debit and credit cards, online and mobile banking, remote electronic deposit, bill payment, cash management and cash management services. It operates through seven full-service offices located in Aptos, Capitola, Cupertino, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Scotts Valley and Watsonville; and two ATMs and night deposit kiosks. Santa Cruz County Bank was incorporated in 2003 and is based in Santa Cruz, California.

Ohio Valley Bench Company Profile (Get a rating)

Ohio Valley Banc Corp. operates as a bank holding company for The Ohio Valley Bank Company which provides corporate and personal banking products and services. The Company operates in two segments, Banking and Consumer Finance. It accepts a variety of deposit products, including checking, savings, term, and money market accounts, as well as individual retirement accounts, demand deposits, NOW accounts, and certificates of deposit. The Company also offers various residential real estate loans, including residential mortgages for one to four families; commercial loans for securing equipment, inventory, inventory, commercial real estate and rental properties; and consumer loans secured by automobiles, mobile homes, recreational vehicles and other personal property, as well as personal loans, unsecured credit card receivables, floor plan and student loans and construction loans. In addition, it offers safe deposit boxes, electronic transfers, credit card services and internet banking; and online financial management services, such as cash management and updates related to repossession auctions, current rates and general banking news. In addition, the Company provides automated teller machine (ATM) services, consumer credit services, seasonal tax preparation services, commercial property and various liability insurance services, as well as direct-to-consumer mortgages and trusts online only. It operates sixteen offices in Ohio and West Virginia; and six consumer credit bureaus in Ohio. The company owns and operates thirty-six ATMs, twenty of which are off-site. Ohio Valley Banc Corp. was founded in 1872 and is headquartered in Gallipolis, Ohio.

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