CrossFirst Bankshares (NASDAQ:CFB – Get Rating) and Southern States Bancshares (NASDAQ:SSBK – Get Rating) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation and profitability.
Profitability
This table compares CrossFirst Bankshares and Southern States Bancshares’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| CrossFirst Bankshares | 19.32% | 11.13% | 1.09% |
| Southern States Bancshares | 28.80% | 15.46% | 1.35% |
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent ratings and recommmendations for CrossFirst Bankshares and Southern States Bancshares, as provided by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| CrossFirst Bankshares | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Southern States Bancshares | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
Insider & Institutional Ownership
54.6% of CrossFirst Bankshares shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 48.3% of Southern States Bancshares shares are owned by institutional investors. 9.0% of CrossFirst Bankshares shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 14.9% of Southern States Bancshares shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Risk & Volatility
CrossFirst Bankshares has a beta of 0.99, meaning that its stock price is 1% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Southern States Bancshares has a beta of -0.13, meaning that its stock price is 113% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares CrossFirst Bankshares and Southern States Bancshares’ top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| CrossFirst Bankshares | $265.79 million | 1.96 | $61.60 million | $1.23 | 8.72 |
| Southern States Bancshares | $85.36 million | 2.24 | $27.07 million | $3.37 | 6.50 |
CrossFirst Bankshares has higher revenue and earnings than Southern States Bancshares. Southern States Bancshares is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than CrossFirst Bankshares, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
About CrossFirst Bankshares
CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for CrossFirst Bank that provides various banking and financial services to businesses, business owners, professionals, and its personal networks. The company offers commercial real estate, construction and development, 1-4 family real estate, commercial, energy, and consumer loans. It also provides a range of deposit products consisting of noninterest-bearing demand and interest-bearing deposits, which include transaction accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit; and personal and business checking and savings accounts, as well as negotiable order of withdrawal accounts; and brokered and reciprocal deposits. In addition, the company offers international banking services; treasury management services; automated teller machine access; and mobile banking services. Further, it holds investments in marketable securities. As of December 31, 2021, it had nine full-service banking offices in Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Texas. CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc. was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Leawood, Kansas. CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of First Security Bancorp.
About Southern States Bancshares
Southern States Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Southern States Bank that provides community banking services to businesses and individuals. It offers various deposit products, such as savings, money market, and noninterest-bearing demand accounts; certificates of deposit; and time deposits. The company also provides real estate loan products, including loans for real estate construction and development, residential mortgages, and commercial real estate mortgage loans; commercial and industrial loans; and direct consumer installment loans, overdrafts, and other revolving credit loans. In addition, it offers online and mobile banking, and ATM services. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Anniston, Alabama.
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