Critical Analysis: Customers Bancorp (NYSE:CUBI) versus Independent Bank (NASDAQ:IBCP)

Customers Bancorp (NYSE:CUBI) and Independent Bank (NASDAQ:IBCP) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their risk, analyst recommendations, profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, earnings and valuation.

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for Customers Bancorp and Independent Bank, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Customers Bancorp	0	5	3	1	2.56
Independent Bank	0	4	0	0	2.00

Customers Bancorp presently has a consensus price target of $62.22, indicating a potential upside of 15.21%. Independent Bank has a consensus price target of $34.83, indicating a potential downside of 8.62%. Given Customers Bancorp’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe Customers Bancorp is more favorable than Independent Bank.

Volatility & Risk

Customers Bancorp has a beta of 1.65, indicating that its stock price is 65% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Independent Bank has a beta of 1.02, indicating that its stock price is 2% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Customers Bancorp and Independent Bank”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Customers Bancorp	$723.48 million	2.34	$250.14 million	$6.16	8.77
Independent Bank	$290.35 million	2.74	$59.07 million	$2.94	12.97

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

Profitability

This table compares Customers Bancorp and Independent Bank’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Customers Bancorp	15.22%	13.55%	1.01%
Independent Bank	19.93%	15.26%	1.24%

Institutional and Insider Ownership

89.3% of Customers Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 79.4% of Independent Bank shares are held by institutional investors. 6.9% of Customers Bancorp shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 5.5% of Independent Bank shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Customers Bancorp beats Independent Bank on 10 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Customers Bancorp

Customers Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Customers Bank that provides financial products and services to individual consumers, and small and middle market businesses. The company provides deposit banking products, which includes commercial and consumer checking, non-interest-bearing and interest-bearing demand, MMDA, savings, and time deposit accounts. Its lending business offers commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, and multifamily and residential mortgage loans; SBA lending and financing; specialty lending includes fund finance, real estate specialty finance, technology and venture, and healthcare and financial institutions group; commercial loans to mortgage companies, and commercial equipment financing; and fund finance, such as variable rate loans secured by collateral pools to private debt funds; and cash management services. In addition, the company provides digital banking including Banking-as-a-Service to fintech companies, payments and treasury services to businesses, and consumer loans through fintech companies and the TassatPay, a blockchain-based instant B2B payments platform which offers instant payments including over-the-counter desks, exchanges, liquidity providers, market makers, funds, and other B2B verticals. Further, it offers mobile phone and internet banking, wire transfers, electronic bill payment, lock box, remote deposit capture, courier, merchant processing, cash vault, controlled disbursements, positive pay, and cash management services, such as account reconciliation, collections, and sweep accounts. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in West Reading, Pennsylvania.

About Independent Bank

Independent Bank Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Independent Bank that provides commercial banking services to individuals and businesses in rural and suburban communities in Michigan. It offers checking and savings accounts, commercial lending, direct and indirect consumer financing, mortgage lending, and safe deposit box services. The company also provides title insurance services and investment services, as well as automatic teller machines, and internet and mobile banking services. In addition, it operates through branches, drive-thru facilities, and loan production offices. Independent Bank Corporation was founded in 1864 and is based in Grand Rapids, Michigan.