Comparing Heartland BancCorp. (OTCMKTS:HLAN) & First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC)

First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) and Heartland BancCorp. (OTCMKTS:HLAN) are both finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, analyst recommendations, dividends, valuation, profitability and institutional ownership.

Profitability

This table compares First Financial Bancorp. and Heartland BancCorp.’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
First Financial Bancorp.	20.64%	10.72%	1.46%
Heartland BancCorp.	N/A	N/A	N/A

Institutional and Insider Ownership

77.2% of First Financial Bancorp. shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 7.5% of Heartland BancCorp. shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.1% of First Financial Bancorp. shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 22.7% of Heartland BancCorp. shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares First Financial Bancorp. and Heartland BancCorp.”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
First Financial Bancorp.	$1.62 billion	1.62	$228.83 million	$2.70	9.87
Heartland BancCorp.	$119.21 million	2.74	$20.26 million	$9.76	16.39

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

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for First Financial Bancorp. and Heartland BancCorp., as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
First Financial Bancorp.	0	5	3	0	2.38
Heartland BancCorp.	0	0	0	0	0.00

First Financial Bancorp. currently has a consensus target price of $29.50, indicating a potential upside of 10.69%. Given First Financial Bancorp.’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe First Financial Bancorp. is more favorable than Heartland BancCorp..

Summary

First Financial Bancorp. beats Heartland BancCorp. on 9 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About First Financial Bancorp.

First Financial Bancorp. operates as the bank holding company for First Financial Bank that provides commercial banking and related services to individuals and businesses in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois. The company offers checking, savings, and money-market accounts; and accepts various deposit products, such as interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing accounts, time deposits, and cash management services for commercial customers. It also provides real estate loans secured by residential property, such as one to four family residential housing units or commercial property comprising owner-occupied and/or investor income producing real estate consisting of apartments, shopping centers, and office buildings; commercial and industrial loans for various purposes, including inventory, receivables, and equipment, as well as equipment and leasehold improvement financing for franchisees; consumer loans comprising new and used vehicle loans, second mortgages on residential real estate, and unsecured loans; and home equity lines of credit. In addition, the company offers commercial financing to the insurance industry, registered investment advisors, certified public accountants, indirect auto finance companies, and restaurant franchisees. Further, it provides a range of trust and wealth management services; lease and equipment financing services; and currency payments, foreign exchange hedging, and other advisory products. First Financial Bancorp. was founded in 1863 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio.

About Heartland BancCorp.

Heartland BancCorp operates as the bank holding company for Heartland Bank that provides various banking and financial services to individual and corporate customers. The company offers personal and business checking and savings accounts. It also provides various lending solutions comprising agricultural loans, commercial and business lending, home and personal loans, and title services. In addition, the company offers online banking, treasury management, credit and debit card, and mobile wallet services. Further, it provides education planning, insurance, wealth management, and retirement planning services. Heartland BancCorp was founded in 1911 and is based in Whitehall, Ohio.