Fact based stock research
First Citizens Bancshares (NasdaqGS:FCNC.A)

US31946M1036

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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.

First Citizens Bancshares stock research in summary

firstcitizens.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 21 (worse than 79% compared with investment alternatives), First Citizens Bancshares (Regional Banks, USA) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of First Citizens Bancshares are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 17 (worse than 83% 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 21, is a sell recommendation based on First Citizens Bancshares's financial characteristics. As the company First Citizens Bancshares shows low value with an Obermatt Value Rank of 17 (83% 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. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	17
Growth Rank	79
Safety Rank	27
Combined Rank	21

Country	USA
Industry	Regional Banks
Index	NASDAQ, D.J. US Banks
Size class	X-Large

This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.

19-Dec-2024. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

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Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: First Citizens Bancshares

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	17	29	69	17
GROWTH
GROWTH	12	100	100	79
SAFETY
SAFETY	11	57	41	27
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	95	85	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	96	95	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 19-Dec-2024. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 30-Sep-2024. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better First Citizens Bancshares is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	17	29	69	17
GROWTH
GROWTH	12	100	100	79
SAFETY
SAFETY	11	57	41	27
COMBINED
COMBINED	11	89	93	21

Last update of combined financial performance: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of First Citizens Bancshares the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 17 (worse than 83% compared with alternatives), First Citizens Bancshares shares are significantly more expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, where the majority of metrics are below, and only one is above average for First Citizens Bancshares. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 55, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than 55% of comparable companies, indicating a good value concerning to First Citizens Bancshares's revenue size. But all other performance indicators point in a different direction. Dividend yields have a Dividend Yield rank of 3, meaning that dividends are expected to be lower than for 97% of comparable investments. Furthermore, Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) is less favorable than 85% of alternatives (only 15% of peers have an even higher ratio). The same is valid for Price-to-Profit (or Price / Earnings, P/E), which is higher than for 61% of comparable companies, making the stock more expensive compared with the company's expected profit levels. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 17, is a sell recommendation based on First Citizens Bancshares's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Since Price-to-Sales is a stable value indicator even in challenging times, investing in First Citizens Bancshares could be seen as a value investment. However, there must be a good reason for the low market-to-book rank. If the company has a typical capital investment practice, the stock may be overvalued because the profit and dividend-related performance indicators are also low. The stock is only good value if investors can expect profits and dividends to pick up in the future. Else, First Citizens Bancshares looks like an expensive investment today. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision, which is especially important in this case, as the financial indicators are inconclusive. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	42	61	85	55
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	33	57	97	39
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	24	8	62	15
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	22	3	3	3
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	17	29	69	17

Last update of Value Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of First Citizens Bancshares; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

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 75 which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its profits more than 75% 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 89 which means that the stock returns have recently been above 89% of alternative investments. Only revenue growth is low with a Sales Growth has a rank of 1 (99% 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. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	2	100	96	1
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	1	76	100	75
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	83	100	100
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	49	77	100	89
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	12	100	100	79

Last update of Growth Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of First Citizens Bancshares.

Safety Metrics in Detail

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 52, meaning the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 52% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at 66, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 66% 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. In the long-term, investors may have a debt challenge with First Citizens Bancshares and should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	14	50	2	2
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	57	62	63	52
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	22	37	76	66
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	11	57	41	27

Last update of Safety Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of First Citizens Bancshares and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2021	2022	2023	2024
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	97	85	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	50	64	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	64	62	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	78	40	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	95	85	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for First Citizens Bancshares.
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