July 25, 2024
Top 10 Stock First Citizens Bancshares Buy Recommendation
How to read the ranks
For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".
Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".
Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.
Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.
(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).
(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.
Snapshot: First Citizens Bancshares – Top 10 Stock in Dow Jones U.S. Regional Banks Index
First Citizens Bancshares is listed as a top 10 stock on July 25, 2024 in the market index D.J. US Banks because of its high performance in at least one of the Obermatt investment strategies. Two consolidated Obermatt Ranks are above-average. The company is growing above average and professional investor sentiment is positive. Both are encouraging signals for a stock purchase decision, albeit at an above-average share price. Based on the Obermatt 360° View of 60 (high 60% performer), Obermatt assesses an overall buy recommendation for First Citizens Bancshares on July 25, 2024.
Snapshot: Obermatt Ranks
| Country | USA |
| Industry | Regional Banks |
| Index | NASDAQ, D.J. US Banks |
| Size class | XX-Large |
When Obermatt identifies the Top 10 stocks in a market, it’s based on a certain investment strategy. The best performing stocks usually aren’t the ones that everyone is talking about (those are often "over-priced" and have low Value ranks).
For each investment strategy, we provide you with more detailed analysis and our recommendation. You see the ranks of the top 10 stocks ranked by that particular investment strategy (360° View, Sentiment, Value, Growth, Safety and Combined Financial Performance).
360° View: Obermatt 360° View First Citizens Bancshares Buy
| 360 METRICS | July 25, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 44 |
|
||||||
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 79 |
|
||||||
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 27 |
|
||||||
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | 70 |
|
||||||
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | 60 |
|
||||||
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt 360° View of 60 (better than 60% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and financial characteristics for the stock First Citizens Bancshares are above average. The 360° View is based on consolidating four consolidated indicators, with half of the metrics below and half above average for First Citizens Bancshares. The consolidated Growth Rank has a good rank of 79, which means that the company experiences above-average growth momentum when looking at financial metrics such as revenue, profit, and invested capital growth as well as stock returns. This means that growth is higher than for 79% of competitors in the same industry. The consolidated Sentiment Rank also has a good rank of 70, which means that professional investors are more optimistic about the stock than for 70% of alternative investment opportunities. But the consolidated Value Rank has a less desirable rank of 44, which means that the share price of First Citizens Bancshares is on the higher side compared with typical size in indicators such as revenues, profits, and invested capital. This means the stock price is higher than for 56% of alternative stocks in the same industry. Finally, the consolidated Safety Rank has a riskier rank of 27, which means that the company has a financing structure that is riskier than those of 73% comparable companies when looking at the amount of its debt, its refinancing requirements, and its ability to service debt. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated 360° View of 60, First Citizens Bancshares is better positioned than 60% of all alternative stock investment opportunities based on the Obermatt Method. Only half of the consolidated Obermatt Ranks exhibit excellent performance, so one needs to take a close look. Growth is above-average (Growth Rank of 79), and professional market sentiment is positive (Sentiment Rank of 70), but value and safety are below average. The Safety Rank is the least significant of the four consolidated ranks, because it only reflects financing practices. In the case of high growth, aggressive financing is a good thing. So the question is: How to assess below-average value against above-average growth and sentiment? Growth may be the strongest driver of the investment rationale in this case, which is reflected in institutional investors' opinions. It is typical for growth companies to have low value, as is the case here. Investors are willing to pay more for companies that outperform their competitors. So the question is, how much do you sacrifice value for growth? You can use the following rule of thumb: If you take 100 minus the growth rank, you arrive at a possibly minimum level for the value rank. For example, if the growth rank is at 75, and the value rank is at 5, you should tread carefully. If the value rank is at 40, it still might be a good value if the growth rank is above 60. Sometimes market sentiment just extrapolates the past, but sometimes it reflects reality. You pay more than the market average for this stock, but it may be worth it. ...read more
Sentiment Strategy: Professional Market Sentiment for First Citizens Bancshares positive
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Sentiment Rank of 70 (better than 70% compared with alternatives), overall professional sentiment and engagement for the stock First Citizens Bancshares is above average. The Sentiment Rank is based on consolidating four sentiment indicators, with half of the metrics below and half above average for First Citizens Bancshares. Analyst Opinions are at a rank of 79 (better than 79% of alternative investments), which means that, currently, stock research analysts tend to recommend a stock investment in the company. Analyst Opinions Change is also positive and has a rank of 84 which means that currently, stock research experts are getting even more optimistic about investments in First Citizens Bancshares. But Market Pulse has a low rank of 41, which means that the current professional news and professional social networks are on the negative side when discussing this company (more negative news than for 59% of competitors). This is an essential sign of caution, as it could be the forebearer of bad news. Professional Investors are also somewhat absent with a rank of 44, which means that, currently, professional investors hold less stock in this company than in 56% of alternative investment opportunities. Pros tend to invest in other companies. This is expected if the company is of a smaller size (medium or smaller). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Sentiment Rank of 70 (more positive than 70% compared with investment alternatives), First Citizens Bancshares has a reputation among professional investors that is above-average compared with that of its competitors. While the general news feeds in the professional market are negative, the analyst recommendations are optimistic about the company, and even increase their ratings despite the negative news. This is an ambiguous situation with positive and negative signals from the professional side. Investors should be on the lookout for negative news but not worry too much about it as long as the overall news is still positive. ...read more
Value Strategy: First Citizens Bancshares Stock Price Value below-average critical
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 44 (worse than 56% compared with alternatives), First Citizens Bancshares shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, where half the indicators are below and half are above average for First Citizens Bancshares. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 63, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 63% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning First Citizens Bancshares's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price-to-Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 87% of alternatives. It is also positive for expected dividend yields with a Dividend Yield rank of 4 (dividends are expected to be higher than for 4% of other stocks). But, compared with other companies in the same industry, the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) is higher than average, making the stock more expensive. Only 66% of all competitors have an even higher price compared with book capital which puts the Price-to-Capital Rank for First Citizens Bancshares to 34. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 44, is a hold recommendation based on First Citizens Bancshares's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. A low level of book capital means that the company has a business that is leaner on assets than its competitors. For instance, the company could be leasing its production facilities, or be more focussed on intellectual property, such as its brand and software, which is less visible in its book capital. If that is the case, the low Dividend Yield is also explained as such companies tend to invest their income into market development. The other good value ranks for Sales and Profits are encouraging indicators for the stock price value. ...read more
Growth Strategy: First Citizens Bancshares Growth Momentum high
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 79 (better than 79% compared with alternatives) for 2024, First Citizens Bancshares shows one of the highest growth dynamics in its industry. Investors also speak of high momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with all but one indicator above average for First Citizens Bancshares. Profit Growth has a rank of 82 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its profits more than 82% of its competitors. The same is valid for capital growth and stock returns. Capital Growth has a rank of 100, and Stock Returns has a rank of 75 which means that the stock returns have recently been above 75% of alternative investments. Only revenue growth is low with a Sales Growth has a rank of 4 (96% of its competitors are better). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 79, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. The many positive growth indicators indicate a positive growth momentum with only low revenue growth. That can also be attributed to divestments or the sale of unprofitable businesses. If that is the reason, overall growth is well on track to making this stock attractive for growth investors. ...read more
Safety Strategy: First Citizens Bancshares Debt Financing Safety below-average
| SAFETY METRICS | July 25, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 2 |
|
||||||
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 54 |
|
||||||
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 71 |
|
||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 27 |
|
||||||
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 27 (better than 27% compared with alternatives), the company First Citizens Bancshares has financing practices on the riskier side, which means that their overall debt burden is above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of First Citizens Bancshares is also risky, it only means that the company is on the riskier side in respect to bankruptcy in case things turn sour, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with two out of three indicators above-average for First Citizens Bancshares. Refinancing is at 54, meaning the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 54% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at 71, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 71% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is safer when it comes to debt service. However, Leverage is rather large at 2, which means the company has an above-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has more debt than 98% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 27 (worse than 73% compared with alternatives), First Citizens Bancshares has a financing structure that is riskier than that of its competitors. This is not bad if things go well. The higher debt level means better returns to shareholders if things go well. Many top-performing companies operate with higher debt levels, and First Citizens Bancshares could be in that group. But if you expect the environment to turn rougher, the higher leverage could become a problem. The same is valid if you expect interest rates to rise. That could squeeze shareholder returns, which so far have benefitted from better conditions. ...read more
Combined financial peformance: First Citizens Bancshares Above-Average Financial Performance
| COMBINED PERFORMANCE | July 25, 2024 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 44 |
|
||||||
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 79 |
|
||||||
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 71 |
|
||||||
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 52 |
|
||||||
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 52 (better than 52% compared with investment alternatives), First Citizens Bancshares (Regional Banks, USA) shares have above-average financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of First Citizens Bancshares are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 44 (worse than 56% of alternatives), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 27, which means above-average debt burdens) but show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 79). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 52, is a buy recommendation based on First Citizens Bancshares's financial characteristics. As the company First Citizens Bancshares shows low value with an Obermatt Value Rank of 44 (56% of comparable investments are less expensive), investors should look at the other ranks. In this case, growth is expected to be above-average, better than 79% of comparable companies (Obermatt Growth Rank is 79). This is a typical case. Companies with above average growth tend to cost more than stocks with slower growth expectations. If this is a high-growth company, the low Obermatt Safety Rank of 27 is a good sign. The more debt a well-performing company has, the higher the returns to shareholders. However, if growth turns negative or interest rates increase, high debt may become a burden. If you believe the future is bright for First Citizens Bancshares, even a low-value company (in terms of its key financial indicators) can be a good investment. ...read more
Obermatt Portfolio Performance
We’re so convinced about our research, that we buy our stock tips.
See the performance of the Obermatt portfolio.