Capital City Bank Group (NASDAQ:CCBG) versus Catalyst Bancorp (NASDAQ:CLST) Head-To-Head Survey

Catalyst Bancorp (NASDAQ:CLST) and Capital City Bank Group (NASDAQ:CCBG) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation, institutional ownership, risk and dividends.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

33.1% of Catalyst Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 44.6% of Capital City Bank Group shares are held by institutional investors. 8.2% of Catalyst Bancorp shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 19.6% of Capital City Bank Group shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Catalyst Bancorp and Capital City Bank Group”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Catalyst Bancorp	$10.02 million	6.03	-$3.09 million	$0.59	24.75
Capital City Bank Group	$240.59 million	2.90	$52.92 million	$3.57	11.44

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

Volatility & Risk

Catalyst Bancorp has a beta of 0.19, suggesting that its share price is 81% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Capital City Bank Group has a beta of 0.39, suggesting that its share price is 61% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for Catalyst Bancorp and Capital City Bank Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Catalyst Bancorp	0	1	0	0	2.00
Capital City Bank Group	0	1	2	0	2.67

Capital City Bank Group has a consensus target price of $45.00, indicating a potential upside of 10.19%. Given Capital City Bank Group’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Capital City Bank Group is more favorable than Catalyst Bancorp.

Profitability

This table compares Catalyst Bancorp and Capital City Bank Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Catalyst Bancorp	14.42%	2.76%	0.81%
Capital City Bank Group	21.50%	11.92%	1.39%

Summary

Capital City Bank Group beats Catalyst Bancorp on 12 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Catalyst Bancorp

Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. operates as a holding company for Catalyst Bank that provides various banking services to individuals and businesses in Louisiana. The company accepts various deposit products, including savings accounts, demand and NOW accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. It also offers single family residential first mortgage loans, commercial real estate mortgage loans, multi-family residential mortgage loans, commercial and industrial loans, construction and land loans, consumer loans, and other loans. In addition, the company invests in various types of securities comprising mortgage-backed securities, the U.S. treasury obligations, securities of various federal agencies and of state and municipal governments, certificates of deposit at federally insured banks and savings institutions, and federal funds. Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Opelousas, Louisiana.

About Capital City Bank Group

Capital City Bank Group, Inc. operates as the financial holding company for Capital City Bank that provides a range of banking- related services to individual and corporate clients. The company offers financing for commercial business properties, equipment, inventories, and accounts receivable, as well as commercial leasing and letters of credit; treasury management services; and merchant credit card transaction processing services. It also provides commercial and residential real estate lending products, as well as fixed and adjustable-rate residential mortgage loans; personal, automobile, boat/RV, and home equity loans; and credit card programs. In addition, the company offers institutional banking services, including customized checking and savings accounts, cash management systems, tax-exempt loans, lines of credit, and term loans to meet the needs of state and local governments, public schools and colleges, charities, membership, and not-for-profit associations. Further, it provides consumer banking services comprising checking accounts, savings programs, interactive/automated teller machines, debit/credit cards, night deposit services, safe deposit facilities, and online and mobile banking services. Additionally, the company provides asset management for individuals through agency, personal trust, IRA, and personal investment management accounts; and various retail securities products, such as the U.S. government bonds, tax-free municipal bonds, stocks, mutual funds, unit investment trusts, annuities, life insurance, and long-term health care, as well as business, estate, financial, insurance and business planning, tax planning, and asset protection advisory services. Capital City Bank Group, Inc. was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida.