Comparing Finward Bancorp (NASDAQ:FNWD) & Gouverneur Bancorp (OTCMKTS:GOVB)

Gouverneur Bancorp (OTCMKTS:GOVB) and Finward Bancorp (NASDAQ:FNWD) are both small-cap finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, dividends, profitability, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, risk and valuation.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Gouverneur Bancorp and Finward Bancorp’s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Gouverneur Bancorp	$7.35 million	1.65	$1.53 million	N/A	N/A
Finward Bancorp	$96.53 million	1.09	$8.38 million	$1.94	12.65

Finward Bancorp has higher revenue and earnings than Gouverneur Bancorp.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Gouverneur Bancorp and Finward Bancorp, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Gouverneur Bancorp	0	0	0	0	N/A
Finward Bancorp	0	0	0	0	N/A

Insider & Institutional Ownership

21.6% of Gouverneur Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 26.6% of Finward Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 4.1% of Gouverneur Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 13.7% of Finward Bancorp shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares Gouverneur Bancorp and Finward Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Gouverneur Bancorp	7.86%	N/A	N/A
Finward Bancorp	8.68%	6.36%	0.40%

Volatility and Risk

Gouverneur Bancorp has a beta of 0.53, suggesting that its share price is 47% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Finward Bancorp has a beta of 0.53, suggesting that its share price is 47% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Summary

Finward Bancorp beats Gouverneur Bancorp on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Gouverneur Bancorp

Gouverneur Bancorp, Inc. operates as the holding company for Gouverneur Savings and Loan Association that provides various banking products and services to individuals and businesses in New York. It accepts passbook savings, NOW, money market deposit, and checking accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company's loan products include mortgage loans, one- to four-family residential loans, commercial real estate loans, and multi-family residential real estate loans, residential and commercial construction loans, commercial land loans, home equity loans, lines of credit, commercial loans, automobiles, motorcycles, campers, boats, and other recreational vehicles, as well as personal secured and unsecured loans. It also invests in municipal bonds, U.S. Treasury securities, U.S. Government agencies and government-sponsored obligations, and mortgage-backed securities. In addition, the company offers online, mobile, bill pay, and telephone banking; electronic or paper statements; and ATM, debit cards, direct deposits, mobile remote deposit capture, automatic payments and transfers, bank checks, wire transfers, and safe deposit box services. It serves primarily the St. Lawrence County, and Jefferson and Lewis counties in New York State. The company was founded in 1892 and is headquartered in Gouverneur, New York.

About Finward Bancorp

Finward Bancorp operates as the holding company for Peoples Bank that provides various banking products and services. The company's deposit products include non-interest- and interest-bearing demand accounts, savings accounts, money market deposit accounts, certificate accounts, and retirement savings plans. Its loan products portfolio comprises residential mortgage loans that enable borrowers to purchase existing homes, refinance existing homes, or construct new homes; construction loans primarily to individuals and contractors; commercial real estate loans; consumer loans to individuals for personal, household, or family purposes; home equity line of credit; home improvement loans and equity loans; commercial business loans; government loans; and loans to municipalities. The company also offers estate and retirement planning, guardianships, land trusts, profit sharing and 401(k) retirement plans, IRA and Keogh accounts, and investment agency accounts, as well as serves as the personal representative of estates, and acts as trustee for revocable and irrevocable trusts. In addition, it provides insurance and annuity investments to wealth management customers; holds real estate properties; and operates as a real estate investment trust. The company was formerly known as NorthWest Indiana Bancorp and changed its name to Finward Bancorp in May 2021. Finward Bancorp was founded in 1916 and is headquartered in Munster, Indiana.