California BanCorp (NASDAQ:CALB – Get Rating) and HBT Financial (NASDAQ:HBT – Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, analyst recommendations, risk, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership and valuation.
Profitability
This table compares California BanCorp and HBT Financial’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| California BanCorp | 23.54% | 13.27% | 1.09% |
| HBT Financial | 32.21% | 16.06% | 1.40% |
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent recommendations for California BanCorp and HBT Financial, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| California BanCorp | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.50 |
| HBT Financial | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.00 |
Risk & Volatility
California BanCorp has a beta of 1.04, suggesting that its share price is 4% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, HBT Financial has a beta of 0.92, suggesting that its share price is 8% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
52.8% of California BanCorp shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 25.4% of HBT Financial shares are held by institutional investors. 10.1% of California BanCorp shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 65.2% of HBT Financial shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Earnings & Valuation
This table compares California BanCorp and HBT Financial’s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| California BanCorp | $89.65 million | 1.86 | $21.11 million | $2.52 | 7.94 |
| HBT Financial | $187.77 million | 3.43 | $56.46 million | $2.09 | 9.58 |
HBT Financial has higher revenue and earnings than California BanCorp. California BanCorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than HBT Financial, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Summary
HBT Financial beats California BanCorp on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About California BanCorp
California BanCorp is a holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and financial solutions. It offers deposits, lending, cash management, international banking as well as real estate mortgage, real estate construction, commercial, and installment loans. The company was founded on March 31, 2017 and is headquartered in Oakland, CA.
About HBT Financial
HBT Financial, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Heartland Bank and Trust Company that provides business, commercial, and retail banking products and services to individuals, businesses, and municipal entities. The company's deposits accounts consist of noninterest-bearing demand deposits, interest-bearing transaction accounts, money market accounts, savings accounts, certificates of deposits, health savings accounts, and individual retirement accounts. Its loan offering comprises owner and non-owner occupied commercial real estate; construction and land development and multi-family; commercial and industrial; agricultural and farmland; and one-to-four family residential loans, as well as municipal, consumer, and other loans. The company also offers wealth management services, including financial planning to consumers, trusts, and estates; trustee and custodial; investment management; corporate retirement plan consulting and administration; and retail brokerage services. In addition, it provides farmland management, farmland sales, and crop insurance services; and treasury management services, as well as originates and sells residential mortgage loans. Further, the company offers digital banking services, such as online and mobile banking, and digital payment services, as well as personal financial management tools. It operates through 57 branch locations in Central and Northeastern Illinois and four locations in Eastern Iowa. The company was formerly known as Heartland Bancorp, Inc. and changed its name to HBT Financial, Inc. in September 2019. HBT Financial, Inc. was founded in 1920 and is headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois.
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