Freedom Financial (OTCMKTS:FDVA – Get Free Report) and Citizens Financial Services (NASDAQ:CZFS – Get Free Report) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, valuation, dividends, profitability, risk, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.
Profitability
This table compares Freedom Financial and Citizens Financial Services’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Freedom Financial | 7.83% | 6.07% | 0.48% |
| Citizens Financial Services | 21.08% | 11.55% | 1.21% |
Valuation & Earnings
This table compares Freedom Financial and Citizens Financial Services”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Freedom Financial | $63.61 million | 1.34 | $370,000.00 | $0.71 | 16.90 |
| Citizens Financial Services | $173.51 million | 1.73 | $36.57 million | $7.63 | 8.19 |
Citizens Financial Services has higher revenue and earnings than Freedom Financial. Citizens Financial Services is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Freedom Financial, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
22.5% of Citizens Financial Services shares are held by institutional investors. 6.1% of Citizens Financial Services shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Analyst Ratings
This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Freedom Financial and Citizens Financial Services, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Freedom Financial | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Citizens Financial Services | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2.67 |
Risk and Volatility
Freedom Financial has a beta of 0.08, meaning that its stock price is 92% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Citizens Financial Services has a beta of 0.42, meaning that its stock price is 58% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Citizens Financial Services beats Freedom Financial on 12 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Freedom Financial
Freedom Financial Holdings, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for The Freedom Bank of Virginia that provides commercial banking, personal banking, and mortgage banking solutions. The company offers personal and business checking accounts, interest bearing business savings accounts, money market accounts, personal savings accounts, certificates of deposits, and IRAs, as well as insured cash sweep and certificate of deposit account registry services. It also provides business term, personal, and mortgage loans; commercial lines of credit; commercial real estate mortgage and small business lending services; home equity lines; and credit cards. In addition, the company offers treasury management, online and mobile banking, remote deposit capture, ACH, and wire transfer services; business valuation, bank-at-work, and merchant services; and prestige banking services. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia.
About Citizens Financial Services
Citizens Financial Services, Inc., a bank holding company, provides various banking products and services for individual, business, governmental, and institutional customers. The company accepts various deposit products, such as checking, savings, and time deposit accounts. Its loan products include residential, commercial, and agricultural real estate loans; commercial and industrial loans; state and political subdivision loans; and consumer loans, as well as various other specialized financial services. The company also provides professional trust administration, investment management services, estate planning and administration, custody of securities, and individual retirement accounts. In addition, it offers brokerage and financial planning services, as well as assistance in various oil and gas leasing matters; and provides mutual funds, annuities, and health and life insurance products. Citizens Financial Services, Inc. was incorporated in 1984 and is headquartered in Mansfield, Pennsylvania.
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