Head to Head Survey: First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW) and First NBC Bank (OTCMKTS:FNBCQ)

First NBC Bank (OTCMKTS:FNBCQ) and First Western Financial (NASDAQ:MYFW) are both finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, risk, profitability, earnings, institutional ownership and dividends.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

60.3% of First Western Financial shares are owned by institutional investors. 8.4% of First NBC Bank shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 17.9% of First Western Financial shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and price targets for First NBC Bank and First Western Financial, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
First NBC Bank	0	0	0	0	0.00
First Western Financial	0	1	2	0	2.67

First Western Financial has a consensus price target of $23.83, indicating a potential upside of 35.49%. Given First Western Financial’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe First Western Financial is more favorable than First NBC Bank.

Profitability

This table compares First NBC Bank and First Western Financial’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
First NBC Bank	N/A	N/A	N/A
First Western Financial	3.33%	2.44%	0.20%

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares First NBC Bank and First Western Financial”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
First NBC Bank	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
First Western Financial	$167.52 million	1.01	$5.22 million	$0.62	28.37

First Western Financial has higher revenue and earnings than First NBC Bank.

Summary

First Western Financial beats First NBC Bank on 9 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks.

About First NBC Bank

First NBC Bank Holding Company operates as the bank holding company for First NBC Bank that provides a range of financial services for businesses, institutions, and individuals. The company's deposit products include savings deposits, money market accounts, negotiable order of withdrawal accounts, and certificates of deposit. Its loan portfolio comprises construction, commercial and consumer real estate, commercial and industrial, and consumer loans. The company also offers trust services, credit cards, and wire transfers. As of August 15, 2016, it operated 39 full service banking offices in New Orleans metropolitan area, Mississippi Gulf Coast, and the Florida panhandle. First NBC Bank Holding Company was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. On May 11, 2017, First NBC Bank Holding Company filed a voluntary petition for reorganization under Chapter 11 in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. First NBC Bank Holding Company operates as a subsidiary of First NMTC 2, LLC.

About First Western Financial

First Western Financial, Inc., a financial holding company, provides wealth advisory, private baking, personal trust, investment management, mortgage lending, and institutional asset management services. The company operates through two segments: Wealth Management and Mortgage. The Wealth Management segment provides deposit, loan, life insurance, and trust and investment management advisory products and services. The Mortgage segment engages in soliciting, originating, and selling mortgage loans into the secondary market. It serves entrepreneurs, professionals, high net worth individuals or families, and business and philanthropic organizations. First Western Financial, Inc. was incorporated in 2002 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.