Finward Bancorp (NASDAQ:FNWD) and Citizens Financial Group (NYSE:CFG) Head-To-Head Comparison

Finward Bancorp (NASDAQ:FNWD – Get Free Report) and Citizens Financial Group (NYSE:CFG – Get Free Report) are both finance companies, but which is the superior business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, valuation, earnings, institutional ownership and dividends.

Risk and Volatility

Finward Bancorp has a beta of 0.16, meaning that its share price is 84% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Citizens Financial Group has a beta of 0.66, meaning that its share price is 34% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

26.6% of Finward Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 94.9% of Citizens Financial Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 13.1% of Finward Bancorp shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 0.7% of Citizens Financial Group shares are owned by 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.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for Finward Bancorp and Citizens Financial Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Finward Bancorp currently has a consensus target price of $41.00, suggesting a potential downside of 3.71%. Citizens Financial Group has a consensus target price of $79.80, suggesting a potential upside of 19.10%. Given Citizens Financial Group’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Citizens Financial Group is more favorable than Finward Bancorp.

Dividends

Finward Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $0.48 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.1%. Citizens Financial Group pays an annual dividend of $1.84 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.7%. Finward Bancorp pays out 21.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Citizens Financial Group pays out 39.9% 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.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Finward Bancorp and Citizens Financial Group”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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

Profitability

This table compares Finward Bancorp and Citizens Financial Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Summary

Citizens Financial Group beats Finward Bancorp on 13 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Finward Bancorp

(Get Free Report)

Finward Bancorp operates as the holding company for Peoples Bank that provides various banking products and services. The company’s deposit products include non-interest- and interest-bearing demand accounts, savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, certificate accounts, and retirement savings plans. Its loan products portfolio comprises residential mortgage loans that enable borrowers to purchase existing homes, refinance existing homes, or construct new homes; construction loans primarily to individuals and contractors; commercial real estate loans; consumer loans to individuals for personal, household, or family purposes; home equity line of credit; home improvement loans and equity loans; commercial business loans; government loans; and loans to municipalities. The company also offers estate and retirement planning, custodial services, guardianships, IRA accounts, and investment agency accounts, as well as serves as the personal representative of estates, and acts as trustee for revocable and irrevocable trusts. In addition, it provides insurance and annuity investments to wealth management customers; holds real estate properties; and operates as a real estate investment trust. The company was formerly known as NorthWest Indiana Bancorp and changed its name to Finward Bancorp in May 2021. Finward Bancorp was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Munster, Indiana.

About Citizens Financial Group

(Get Free Report)

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. operates as the bank holding company that provides retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, corporations, and institutions in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Consumer Banking and Commercial Banking. The Consumer Banking segment offers deposit products, mortgage and home equity lending products, credit cards, business loans, wealth management, and investment services; and auto, education, and point-of-sale finance loans, as well as digital deposit products. This segment serves its customers through telephone service centers, as well as through its online and mobile platforms. The Commercial Banking segment provides various financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, and interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as syndicated loans, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, and debt and equity capital markets services. This segment serves corporate banking, healthcare, technology, asset finance, franchise finance, leasing, asset-based lending, commercial real estate, mid-corporate, and private equity sponsor industries. The company was formerly known as RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc. and changed its name to Citizens Financial Group, Inc. in April 2014. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. was founded in 1828 and is headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island.