Fact based stock research
Southern First (NasdaqGM:SFST)

US8428731017

How to read the free 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.

Southern First stock research in summary

southernfirst.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 1 (worse than 99% compared with investment alternatives), Southern First (Regional Banks, USA) shares have lower financial characteristics compared with similar stocks. Shares of Southern First are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 11 (worse than 89% of alternatives), show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 5), and are riskily financed (Safety Rank of 20), which means above-average debt burdens. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 1, is a sell recommendation based on Southern First's financial characteristics. As the company Southern First's key financial metrics all exhibit below-average performance, such as low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 11), low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 5), and risky financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 20), it is a somewhat questionable stock investment, where the risk of paying too much for the shares is significant, unless the company has an exceptionally bright future. Such poor financial performance sometimes indicates that the company's business is all concentrated in some distant future. This is sometimes the case for high-tech or biotechnology companies. If they own properties that only provide cash flows in the future, the stock may look excessively expensive and risky today. In such cases, the Obermatt Method has limited value as it is based on facts we can observe today. If the facts are all in the future, stock investing becomes guesswork, and this should only be a driver in a limited number of investments that should only amount to a small fraction of a safe portfolio. 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	11
Growth Rank	5
Safety Rank	20
Combined Rank	1

Country	USA
Industry	Regional Banks
Index	Sound Pay USA, NASDAQ
Size class	XX-Large

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

Further information

Multiple opinions. One number.

Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.

Why popular stocks have low ratings

It’s easier said than done. When your stock drops, it’s easy to want to sell it and find a better performer. Think twice, or even three times, before trading. Those fees (especially the hidden ones) can eat up your gains.

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

Research History: Southern First

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	13	5	14	11
GROWTH
GROWTH	90	98	33	5
SAFETY
SAFETY	50	13	28	20
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	54	1	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	31	1	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 14-Nov-2024. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 30-Jun-2024. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Southern First is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	13	5	14	11
GROWTH
GROWTH	90	98	33	5
SAFETY
SAFETY	50	13	28	20
COMBINED
COMBINED	50	12	1	1

Last update of combined financial performance: 14-Nov-2024. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Southern First the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 11 (worse than 89% compared with alternatives), Southern First shares are significantly more expensive than comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators where three out of four are below average for Southern First. Only the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) indicates good stock value with a Price-to-Book Rank of 54, which means that the stock price is lower compared with invested capital than for 54% of comparable investments. All other value indicators are below the market median. Price-to-Sales is 24 which means the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than 76% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning Southern First's revenue levels. The same is valid for the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 54 and for the dividend yields rank which is lower than for 99% of comparable companies, making the stock more expensive as regards to with the company's expected dividend payouts. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 11, is a sell recommendation based on Southern First's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. Why are market participants paying such a high price for Southern First, where three out of four value indicators are below par? One reason could be that the company is well financed, indicated by the high book capital level, and has a promising future that is not yet visible in reported revenues and profits. That would also explain the low dividend yield because the company needs the cash to invest in its future. If investors can verify a picture in this sense, the stock may still be a good investment, even though current company-reported financials don't fully explain current stock prices. 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 essential 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)	33	11	31	24
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	53	48	1	2
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	18	7	63	54
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	1	1	1	1
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	13	5	14	11

Last update of Value Rank: 14-Nov-2024. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Southern First; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 5 (better than 5% compared with alternatives), Southern First shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Southern First. Sales Growth has a below market rank of 12, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 88% of its competitors. The same is valid for Capital Growth, with a rank of 27, and Profit Growth, with a rank of 14. Currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 86% of its competitors). Only shareholders are optimistic. Stock Returns are above average at a rank of 51, which means that the stock returns have recently been above 51% of alternative investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 5, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. That picture may be the result for a company that has reached the bottom. All went south for Southern First, and it still looks bad, but some investors already see light at the end of the tunnel, rewarding the stock with recent above-market stock returns. It could also mean that investors are correcting an overreaction to negative news. If that were the case, the positive stock returns are not yet a sign of recovery. Investors should look closely at the Value and Sentiment indicators before they make a stock purchasing decision, because growth is unlikely to be the driving argument behind this investment. 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, especially since the growth performance is low here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	84	55	78	12
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	76	90	1	14
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	74	79	27
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	71	87	11	51
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	90	98	33	5

Last update of Growth Rank: 14-Nov-2024. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Southern First.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 20 (better than 20% compared with alternatives), the company Southern First has much riskier financing practices than comparable other companies, which means that their overall debt burden is significantly above the industry average. This doesn't mean that the business of Southern First 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 just one indicator above average for Southern First and the other two below average. Leverage is at a rank of 73 meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 73% of its competitors.Refinancing is at a rank of 29, which means that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is above-average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 71% of its competitors. Liquidity is at a rank of 8, meaning that the company generates less profit to service its debt than 92% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 20 (worse than 80% compared with alternatives), Southern First has a financing structure that is significantly riskier than that of its competitors. This is an indication that the company is on the riskier side when it comes to debt service. There is only below-market average liquidity, and a short-term refinancing issue might be around the corner. But in the long-term, the debt levels of Southern First are on the safer side. Investors may have a short-term debt challenge and liquidity issues with Southern First 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	51	42	61	73
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	37	6	38	29
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	43	55	17	8
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	50	13	28	20

Last update of Safety Rank: 14-Nov-2024. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Southern First 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	30	1	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	9	50	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	66	8	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	92	9	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	54	1	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 14-Nov-2024. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Southern First.
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