First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) vs. ChoiceOne Financial Services (NASDAQ:COFS) Head-To-Head Comparison

First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) and ChoiceOne Financial Services (NASDAQ:COFS) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, risk, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, valuation and analyst recommendations.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares First Financial Bancorp. and ChoiceOne Financial Services”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
First Financial Bancorp.	$1.26 billion	2.62	$255.60 million	$2.83	11.12
ChoiceOne Financial Services	$227.62 million	2.18	$28.18 million	$3.63	9.12

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

Risk and Volatility

First Financial Bancorp. has a beta of 0.93, indicating that its stock price is 7% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, ChoiceOne Financial Services has a beta of 0.61, indicating that its stock price is 39% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Dividends

First Financial Bancorp. pays an annual dividend of $1.04 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.3%. ChoiceOne Financial Services pays an annual dividend of $1.16 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.5%. First Financial Bancorp. pays out 36.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. ChoiceOne Financial Services pays out 32.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. First Financial Bancorp. has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years and ChoiceOne Financial Services has raised its dividend for 13 consecutive years. ChoiceOne Financial Services is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

77.2% of First Financial Bancorp. shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 19.9% of ChoiceOne Financial Services shares are held by institutional investors. 1.1% of First Financial Bancorp. shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 6.5% of ChoiceOne Financial Services shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and recommmendations for First Financial Bancorp. and ChoiceOne Financial Services, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
First Financial Bancorp.	0	2	5	0	2.71
ChoiceOne Financial Services	0	1	2	0	2.67

First Financial Bancorp. currently has a consensus price target of $34.00, indicating a potential upside of 8.01%. ChoiceOne Financial Services has a consensus price target of $36.50, indicating a potential upside of 10.27%. Given ChoiceOne Financial Services’ higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe ChoiceOne Financial Services is more favorable than First Financial Bancorp..

Profitability

This table compares First Financial Bancorp. and ChoiceOne Financial Services’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
First Financial Bancorp.	20.77%	11.13%	1.49%
ChoiceOne Financial Services	22.77%	12.04%	1.28%

Summary

First Financial Bancorp. beats ChoiceOne Financial Services on 9 of the 17 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 ChoiceOne Financial Services

ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for ChoiceOne Bank that provides banking services to corporations, partnerships, and individuals in Michigan. The company offers various deposit products, including time, savings, and demand deposits, safe deposit, and automated transaction machine services. It also provides commercial lending products, such as business, industry, agricultural, construction, inventory, and real estate loans; and consumer loans comprising direct and indirect loans to consumers and purchasers of residential and real properties. In addition, the company offers alternative investment products, which include annuities and mutual funds; and sells insurance policies, such as life and health for commercial and consumer clients. Further, it provides trust and wealth management services. ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc. was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Sparta, Michigan.