Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (NASDAQ:KFFB) versus Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ:SMBC) Head-To-Head Review

Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (NASDAQ:KFFB) and Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ:SMBC) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better business? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their dividends, institutional ownership, profitability, analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation and risk.

Risk & Volatility

Kentucky First Federal Bancorp has a beta of 0.11, meaning that its share price is 89% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Southern Missouri Bancorp has a beta of 0.98, meaning that its share price is 2% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

3.2% of Kentucky First Federal Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 49.5% of Southern Missouri Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. 3.9% of Kentucky First Federal Bancorp shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 15.8% of Southern Missouri Bancorp shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Kentucky First Federal Bancorp and Southern Missouri Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Kentucky First Federal Bancorp	2.68%	1.12%	0.14%
Southern Missouri Bancorp	19.86%	11.57%	1.25%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings for Kentucky First Federal Bancorp and Southern Missouri Bancorp, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Kentucky First Federal Bancorp	0	1	0	0	2.00
Southern Missouri Bancorp	0	3	1	0	2.25

Southern Missouri Bancorp has a consensus price target of $62.83, indicating a potential upside of 2.04%. Given Southern Missouri Bancorp’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Southern Missouri Bancorp is more favorable than Kentucky First Federal Bancorp.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares Kentucky First Federal Bancorp and Southern Missouri Bancorp”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Kentucky First Federal Bancorp	$19.74 million	1.75	$180,000.00	$0.06	71.27
Southern Missouri Bancorp	$305.35 million	2.26	$58.58 million	$5.46	11.28

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

Summary

Southern Missouri Bancorp beats Kentucky First Federal Bancorp on 13 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Kentucky First Federal Bancorp

Kentucky First Federal Bancorp operates as the holding company for First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Hazard, and Frankfort First Bancorp, Inc. that provide various banking products and services in Kentucky. It accepts deposit products include passbook savings and certificate accounts, checking accounts, and individual retirement accounts. The company's loan portfolio comprises one-to four-family residential mortgage loans; construction loans; mortgage loans secured by multi-family property; nonresidential loans that are secured by commercial office buildings, churches, and properties used for other purposes; commercial non-mortgage loans; and consumer loans, such as home equity lines of credit, loans secured by savings deposits, automobile loans, and unsecured or personal loans. It also invests in mortgage-backed securities. The company was incorporated in 2005 and is based in Hazard, Kentucky. Kentucky First Federal Bancorp is a subsidiary of First Federal MHC.

About Southern Missouri Bancorp

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Southern Bank that provides banking and financial services to individuals and corporate customers in the United States. The company offers deposits products, including interest-bearing and noninterest-bearing transaction accounts, saving accounts, certificates of deposit, retirement savings plans, and money market deposit accounts. It also provides loans, such as residential mortgage, commercial real estate, construction, and commercial business loans; and consumer loans comprising home equity, direct and indirect automobile loans, second mortgages, mobile home loans, and loans secured by deposits. In addition, the company offers fiduciary and investment management services; commercial and consumer insurance; online and mobile banking services; and debit or credit cards. The company was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.