Head-To-Head Contrast: Finward Bancorp (OTCMKTS:FNWD) & BPER Banca (OTCMKTS:BPXXY)

Institutional and Insider Ownership

26.6% of Finward Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 13.1% of Finward Bancorp shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Finward Bancorp and BPER Banca”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Finward Bancorp	$61.38 million	2.13	$15.08 million	$0.77	39.34
BPER Banca	N/A	N/A	N/A	$0.31	42.58

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

Profitability

This table compares Finward Bancorp and BPER Banca’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Finward Bancorp	14.46%	10.52%	0.67%
BPER Banca	N/A	N/A	N/A

Summary

Finward Bancorp beats BPER Banca on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Finward Bancorp

Finward Bancorp operates as the holding company for Peoples Bank that provides various banking products and services. The company's deposit products include non-interest- and interest-bearing demand accounts, savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, certificate accounts, and retirement savings plans. Its loan products portfolio comprises residential mortgage loans that enable borrowers to purchase existing homes, refinance existing homes, or construct new homes; construction loans primarily to individuals and contractors; commercial real estate loans; consumer loans to individuals for personal, household, or family purposes; home equity line of credit; home improvement loans and equity loans; commercial business loans; government loans; and loans to municipalities. The company also offers estate and retirement planning, custodial services, guardianships, IRA accounts, and investment agency accounts, as well as serves as the personal representative of estates, and acts as trustee for revocable and irrevocable trusts. In addition, it provides insurance and annuity investments to wealth management customers; holds real estate properties; and operates as a real estate investment trust. The company was formerly known as NorthWest Indiana Bancorp and changed its name to Finward Bancorp in May 2021. Finward Bancorp was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Munster, Indiana.

About BPER Banca

BPER Banca SpA provides banking products and services for individuals, and businesses and professionals in Italy and internationally. The company operates through Retail, Private, Corporate, Large Corporate, and Finance segments. It offers current and saving accounts, loans, mortgages, insurance and social security, and digital banking and related services; cards; and investments and savings products and services. The company also provides financing and leasing, collection and payment, import and export, liquidity and investment management, digital, and other services. In addition, it offers wealth management services comprising portfolio management, consultancy, financial advice, and wealth advisory services; insurance investment products; and funds and SICAVs. The company was founded in 1867 and is headquartered in Modena, Italy.