Head to Head Analysis: GrandSouth Bancorporation (OTCMKTS:GRRB) vs. First Citizens BancShares (NASDAQ:FCNCA)

GrandSouth Bancorporation (OTCMKTS:GRRB) and First Citizens BancShares (NASDAQ:FCNCA) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their risk, institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, dividends and profitability.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for GrandSouth Bancorporation and First Citizens BancShares, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
GrandSouth Bancorporation	0	0	0	0	0.00
First Citizens BancShares	0	6	7	0	2.54

First Citizens BancShares has a consensus target price of $2,291.17, suggesting a potential upside of 22.80%. Given First Citizens BancShares’ stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe First Citizens BancShares is more favorable than GrandSouth Bancorporation.

Profitability

This table compares GrandSouth Bancorporation and First Citizens BancShares’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
GrandSouth Bancorporation	N/A	N/A	N/A
First Citizens BancShares	16.37%	11.32%	1.08%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares GrandSouth Bancorporation and First Citizens BancShares”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
GrandSouth Bancorporation	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
First Citizens BancShares	$14.97 billion	1.61	$2.78 billion	$169.46	11.01

First Citizens BancShares has higher revenue and earnings than GrandSouth Bancorporation.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

78.0% of First Citizens BancShares shares are held by institutional investors. 33.3% of GrandSouth Bancorporation shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 13.2% of First Citizens BancShares shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

First Citizens BancShares beats GrandSouth Bancorporation on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About GrandSouth Bancorporation

GrandSouth Bancorporation operates as the bank holding company for GrandSouth Bank that provides banking services to individuals and businesses. It accepts checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, various term certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. The company also offers one-to-four family residential, commercial real estate, home equity and lines of credit, residential construction and other construction and land, and commercial loans; and consumer loans comprising loans secured by personal property, such as automobiles, marketable securities, and boats and motorcycles, as well as unsecured consumer debt. In addition, it invests in investment securities, as well as provides specialty floor plan lending to small auto dealerships under the CarBucks trade name. The company operates through eight branches across South Carolina. GrandSouth Bancorporation was founded in 1998 and is based in Greenville, South Carolina.

About First Citizens BancShares

First Citizens BancShares, Inc. operates as the holding company for First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company that provides retail and commercial banking services to individuals, businesses, and professionals. The company's deposit products include checking, savings, money market, and time deposit accounts. Its loan product portfolio comprises commercial construction and mortgage; and commercial and industrial leases, as well as small business administration loans. In addition, the company offers consumer loans, such as residential and revolving mortgage, consumer auto, and other consumer loans. Further, it provides wealth management services, including annuities, brokerage services, and third-party mutual funds, as well as investment management and advisory services. The company provides its products and services through its branch network. First Citizens BancShares, Inc. was founded in 1898 and is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina.