Contrasting Washington Trust Bancorp (NASDAQ:WASH) and AmeriServ Financial (NASDAQ:ASRV)

Washington Trust Bancorp (NASDAQ:WASH) and AmeriServ Financial (NASDAQ:ASRV) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, profitability, dividends and risk.

Risk and Volatility

Washington Trust Bancorp has a beta of 0.74, suggesting that its share price is 26% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, AmeriServ Financial has a beta of 0.45, suggesting that its share price is 55% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Washington Trust Bancorp and AmeriServ Financial”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Washington Trust Bancorp	$393.95 million	1.70	$52.24 million	$2.73	12.89
AmeriServ Financial	$88.34 million	0.73	$5.61 million	$0.33	11.55

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

Dividends

Washington Trust Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $2.24 per share and has a dividend yield of 6.4%. AmeriServ Financial pays an annual dividend of $0.12 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.1%. Washington Trust Bancorp pays out 82.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. AmeriServ Financial pays out 36.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Profitability

This table compares Washington Trust Bancorp and AmeriServ Financial’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Washington Trust Bancorp	13.71%	9.79%	0.79%
AmeriServ Financial	6.20%	4.72%	0.38%

Insider & Institutional Ownership

65.8% of Washington Trust Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 31.5% of AmeriServ Financial shares are held by institutional investors. 1.3% of Washington Trust Bancorp shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 7.9% of AmeriServ Financial shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Washington Trust Bancorp and AmeriServ Financial, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Washington Trust Bancorp	1	2	1	0	2.00
AmeriServ Financial	0	0	1	0	3.00

Washington Trust Bancorp currently has a consensus price target of $33.00, suggesting a potential downside of 6.20%. Given Washington Trust Bancorp’s higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Washington Trust Bancorp is more favorable than AmeriServ Financial.

Summary

Washington Trust Bancorp beats AmeriServ Financial on 12 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Washington Trust Bancorp

Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for The Washington Trust Company, of Westerly that provides various banking and financial services to individuals and businesses. The company operates in two segments, Commercial Banking and Wealth Management Services. The Commercial Banking segment offers deposit accounts, including interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing demand deposits, NOW and savings accounts, money market and retirement deposit accounts, and time deposits; various commercial and retail lending products, such as commercial real estate loans, including commercial mortgages, and construction and development loans; commercial and industrial loans comprising working capital, equipment financing, and financing for other business-related purposes; residential real estate loans that consist of mortgage and homeowner construction loans; and consumer loans comprising home equity loans and lines of credit, personal installment loans, and loans to individuals secured by general aviation aircraft. This segment also provides debit cards; automated teller machines (ATMs); telephone banking, internet banking, mobile banking, remote deposit capture, and other cash management services; and investment portfolio and wholesale funding services. The Wealth Management Services segment offers investment management; financial planning; personal trust and estate services, such as trustee, personal representative, custodian, and guardian; and settlement of decedents’ estates, as well as institutional trust services comprising custody and fiduciary services for personal and institutional clients. Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1800 and is headquartered in Westerly, Rhode Island.

About AmeriServ Financial

AmeriServ Financial, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of consumer, mortgage and commercial financial products and services through its subsidiary. It operates through the following segments: Community Banking, Wealth Management, and Investment or Parent. The Community Banking segment includes both retail and commercial banking activities. The Wealth Management segment involves in the operations of a Trust Company, West Chester Capital Advisors an investment advisory firm, and Financial Services. The Investment or Parent segment offers investment securities, borrowing activities, and general corporate expenses. The company was founded in January 1983 and is headquartered in Johnstown, PA.