Contrasting Berkshire Bancorp (OTCMKTS:BERK) & ConnectOne Bancorp (NASDAQ:CNOB)

ConnectOne Bancorp (NASDAQ:CNOB) and Berkshire Bancorp (OTCMKTS:BERK) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends and profitability.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for ConnectOne Bancorp and Berkshire Bancorp, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
ConnectOne Bancorp	0	1	3	0	2.75
Berkshire Bancorp	0	0	0	0	0.00

ConnectOne Bancorp currently has a consensus price target of $30.67, indicating a potential upside of 15.08%. Given ConnectOne Bancorp’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe ConnectOne Bancorp is more favorable than Berkshire Bancorp.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares ConnectOne Bancorp and Berkshire Bancorp”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
ConnectOne Bancorp	$679.93 million	1.97	$80.44 million	$1.50	17.77
Berkshire Bancorp	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

ConnectOne Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than Berkshire Bancorp.

Profitability

This table compares ConnectOne Bancorp and Berkshire Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
ConnectOne Bancorp	11.83%	9.59%	1.01%
Berkshire Bancorp	N/A	N/A	N/A

Insider and Institutional Ownership

67.7% of ConnectOne Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. 6.4% of ConnectOne Bancorp shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 70.4% of Berkshire Bancorp shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

ConnectOne Bancorp beats Berkshire Bancorp on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About ConnectOne Bancorp

ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for ConnectOne Bank that provides commercial banking products and services for small and mid-sized businesses, local professionals, and individuals in the New York Metropolitan area and South Florida market. The company offers personal and business checking, money market, and time and savings accounts; credit cards, wire transfers, safe deposit boxes, automated teller services and telephone, and internet and mobile banking. It provides retirement accounts, consumers and cash management services for business clients, including treasury direct, automated clearing house, remote deposit capture, and digital invoicing. In addition, the company offers consumer and commercial business loans, including lines of credit, commercial and residential mortgages, home equity and bridge loans, and other personal loans; commercial loans secured by collateral, such as business assets comprising accounts receivable, inventory and equipment, and mortgages filed on commercial and residential real estate, as well as cash balances and marketable securities. Further, it provides real estate loans, which includes loans secured by first liens on completed commercial properties, including multi-family properties, to purchase or refinance properties; residential mortgages, such as loans secured by first liens on 1-4 family and condominium; and cooperative residential real estate loans. The company was formerly known as Center Bancorp, Inc. and changed its name to ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. in July 2014. ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. was incorporated in 1982 and is headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

About Berkshire Bancorp

Berkshire Bancorp Inc. operates as the bank holding company for The Berkshire Bank that provides community banking services primarily to businesses, professionals, and retail customers. The company offers statement savings, NOW, money market deposit, and checking accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. It also provides commercial and industrial, commercial and residential real estate, multi-family real estate, construction, and consumer loans, as well as mortgages and finance leasing services. In addition, the company offers ATM and debit cards; safe deposit boxes; bill pay, collection, remote deposit capture, and foreign exchange services; and mobile, telephone, and online banking services. It operates through two branches located in Manhattan; four branches located in Brooklyn, New York; four branches located in Orange and Sullivan Counties in New York State; and one branch located in Teaneck, New Jersey. Berkshire Bancorp Inc. was founded in 1871 and is headquartered in New York, New York.