Central Plains Bancshares (NASDAQ:CPBI) versus First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) Head-To-Head Review

Central Plains Bancshares (NASDAQ:CPBI) and First Financial Bancorp. (NASDAQ:FFBC) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, valuation, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

24.3% of Central Plains Bancshares shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 77.2% of First Financial Bancorp. shares are owned by institutional investors. 8.6% of Central Plains Bancshares shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 1.1% of First Financial Bancorp. shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Profitability

This table compares Central Plains Bancshares and First Financial Bancorp.’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Central Plains Bancshares	13.34%	4.52%	0.76%
First Financial Bancorp.	19.41%	10.57%	1.42%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings for Central Plains Bancshares and First Financial Bancorp., as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Central Plains Bancshares	0	0	0	0	0.00
First Financial Bancorp.	0	3	1	0	2.25

First Financial Bancorp. has a consensus target price of $29.00, suggesting a potential upside of 16.33%. Given First Financial Bancorp.’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe First Financial Bancorp. is more favorable than Central Plains Bancshares.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Central Plains Bancshares and First Financial Bancorp.”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Central Plains Bancshares	$27.31 million	2.40	$3.65 million	$0.99	15.70
First Financial Bancorp.	$1.62 billion	1.47	$228.83 million	$2.50	9.97

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

Volatility and Risk

Central Plains Bancshares has a beta of 0.15, meaning that its share price is 85% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, First Financial Bancorp. has a beta of 0.98, meaning that its share price is 2% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

First Financial Bancorp. beats Central Plains Bancshares on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Central Plains Bancshares

Central Plains Bancshares, Inc. focuses on providing various banking products and services to retail customers, and small and medium-sized commercial customers in Nebraska, the United States. It offers checking accounts, savings accounts, and certificate of deposit accounts. The company also provides one- to four-family residential mortgage loans secured by properties, as well as commercial real estate loans, commercial and industrial loans, multi-family residential real estate loans, construction and land development loans, agricultural real estate and non-real estate loans, and consumer loans. In addition, it offers electronic banking services, including mobile banking, on-line banking and bill pay, and electronic funds transfer. The company was incorporated in 2023 and is based in Grand Island, Nebraska.

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.