Comparing First Mid Bancshares (NASDAQ:FMBH) and Kentucky Bancshares (OTCMKTS:KTYB)

First Mid Bancshares (NASDAQ:FMBH) and Kentucky Bancshares (OTCMKTS:KTYB) are both finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, profitability, dividends, valuation, analyst recommendations, risk and earnings.

Profitability

This table compares First Mid Bancshares and Kentucky Bancshares’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
First Mid Bancshares	16.75%	10.43%	1.07%
Kentucky Bancshares	N/A	N/A	N/A

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of current recommendations and price targets for First Mid Bancshares and Kentucky Bancshares, as provided by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
First Mid Bancshares	0	1	4	0	2.80
Kentucky Bancshares	0	0	0	0	N/A

First Mid Bancshares presently has a consensus target price of $38.20, indicating a potential upside of 2.28%. Given First Mid Bancshares’ higher possible upside, research analysts plainly believe First Mid Bancshares is more favorable than Kentucky Bancshares.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares First Mid Bancshares and Kentucky Bancshares”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
First Mid Bancshares	$306.31 million	2.91	$68.93 million	$3.10	12.05
Kentucky Bancshares	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

First Mid Bancshares has higher revenue and earnings than Kentucky Bancshares.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

47.6% of First Mid Bancshares shares are owned by institutional investors. 7.7% of First Mid Bancshares shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 15.0% of Kentucky Bancshares shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Summary

First Mid Bancshares beats Kentucky Bancshares on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About First Mid Bancshares

First Mid Bancshares, Inc., a financial holding company, provides community banking products and services to commercial, retail, and agricultural customers in the United States. It accepts various deposit products, such as demand deposits, savings accounts, money market deposits, and time deposits. The company's loan products include commercial real estate, commercial and industrial, agricultural and agricultural real estate, residential real estate, and consumer loans, as well as construction and land development, 1-4 family residential properties, and multifamily residential properties loans; and other loans comprising loans to municipalities to support community projects, such as infrastructure improvements or equipment purchases. It also offers wealth management services, which include estate planning, investment, and farm management and brokerage services for individuals; employee benefit services for businesses; and farm management and brokerage services. In addition, the company provides property and casualty, senior insurance products, and group medical insurance for businesses; and personal lines insurance to individuals. The company was formerly known as First Mid-Illinois Bancshares, Inc. and changed its name to First Mid Bancshares, Inc. in April 2019. First Mid Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Mattoon, Illinois.

About Kentucky Bancshares

Kentucky Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Kentucky Bank that provides commercial and consumer banking products and services. It accepts various deposit products, including checking, savings, and money market accounts; and certificates of deposit, safe deposits, interest and noninterest bearing deposits, and time deposits. The company also offers commercial, agricultural, and real estate loans to small-to-medium-sized industrial, service, and agricultural businesses; and residential mortgages, installments, and other loans to individual and other non-commercial customers. In addition, it provides credit cards and other consumer-oriented financial services; brokerage services, annuities, life and long-term care insurance, personal trust, and agency services; and Internet banking services, such as bill payment. The company has operations in Bourbon, Clark, Elliott, Fayette, Harrison, Jessamine, Madison, Rowan, Scott, Woodford, and other counties in Kentucky. Kentucky Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Paris, Kentucky.