Catalyst Bancorp (NASDAQ:CLST – Get Free Report) and Kearny Financial (NASDAQ:KRNY – Get Free Report) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their risk, earnings, dividends, profitability, valuation, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.
Insider and Institutional Ownership
33.1% of Catalyst Bancorp shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 71.0% of Kearny Financial shares are held by institutional investors. 5.9% of Catalyst Bancorp shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 8.6% of Kearny Financial shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth.
Profitability
This table compares Catalyst Bancorp and Kearny Financial’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Catalyst Bancorp | N/A | -4.12% | -1.20% |
| Kearny Financial | -27.43% | 3.05% | 0.31% |
Analyst Ratings
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Catalyst Bancorp | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Kearny Financial | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2.50 |
Kearny Financial has a consensus price target of $7.75, indicating a potential upside of 11.67%. Given Kearny Financial’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Kearny Financial is more favorable than Catalyst Bancorp.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares Catalyst Bancorp and Kearny Financial”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Catalyst Bancorp | $5.42 million | 9.38 | $600,000.00 | ($0.82) | -14.27 |
| Kearny Financial | $134.50 million | 3.33 | -$86.67 million | ($1.45) | -4.79 |
Catalyst Bancorp has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Kearny Financial. Catalyst Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Kearny Financial, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Risk and Volatility
Catalyst Bancorp has a beta of 0.14, indicating that its stock price is 86% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Kearny Financial has a beta of 0.82, indicating that its stock price is 18% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Kearny Financial beats Catalyst Bancorp on 10 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Catalyst Bancorp
Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. operates as a holding company for Catalyst Bank that provides various banking services to individuals and businesses in Louisiana. The company accepts various deposit products, including savings accounts, demand and NOW accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit. It also offers single family residential first mortgage loans, commercial real estate mortgage loans, multi-family residential mortgage loans, commercial and industrial loans, construction and land loans, consumer loans, and other loans. In addition, the company invests in various types of securities comprising mortgage-backed securities, the U.S. treasury obligations, securities of various federal agencies and of state and municipal governments, certificates of deposit at federally insured banks and savings institutions, and federal funds. Catalyst Bancorp, Inc. was founded in 1922 and is headquartered in Opelousas, Louisiana.
About Kearny Financial
Kearny Financial Corp. operates as the holding company for Kearny Bank that provides various banking products and services in the United States. It offers various deposit products, including interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing checking accounts, money market deposit accounts, savings accounts, and certificates of deposit accounts. The company also provides various loans, such as multi-family and nonresidential real estate mortgage loans, commercial term loans and lines of credit, one- to four-family residential mortgage loans, and home equity loans and lines of credit; loans to individuals, builders, or developers for the construction of multi-family residential buildings or commercial real estate, or for the construction or renovation of one- to four-family residences; overdraft lines of credit; and personal loans. In addition, it engages in the investment activities. Kearny Financial Corp. was founded in 1884 and is headquartered in Fairfield, New Jersey.
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