Fact based stock research
The First (NasdaqGM:FBMS)

US3189161033

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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.

The First stock research in summary

thefirstbank.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 94 (better than 94% compared with investment alternatives), The First (Regional Banks, USA) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of The First are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 35 (worse than 65% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 95) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 88, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 94, is a strong buy recommendation based on The First's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company The First exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 35), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 95). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 88) are a double-edged sword: if the company continues growing, low debt limits shareholder returns. But if the company increases its debt, it will also increase risk. In other words, this is an investment on the safer side, despite the above-average price (low value). 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	35
Growth Rank	95
Safety Rank	88
Combined Rank	94

Country	USA
Industry	Regional Banks
Index	Diversity USA, Sound Pay USA, NASDAQ
Size class	Small

23-Jan-2025. 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: The First

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	35	29	50	35
GROWTH
GROWTH	55	57	43	95
SAFETY
SAFETY	71	100	100	88
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	65	78	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	83	90	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 23-Jan-2025. 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 The First is in the corresponding investment strategy.
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Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	35	29	50	35
GROWTH
GROWTH	55	57	43	95
SAFETY
SAFETY	71	100	100	88
COMBINED
COMBINED	63	83	80	94

Last update of combined financial performance: 23-Jan-2025. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of The First the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 35 (worse than 65% compared with alternatives), The First shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for The First. Expected dividend yields are higher than for 55% of comparable companies (a Dividend Yield rank of 55), making the stock attractive. The same is valid for Price-to-Book Capital (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Book Rank of 56, which means that the stock price is lower compared with invested capital than for 56% of comparable investments. But in respect to sales and profits, the picture is reversed. Price-to-Sales is 17 which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future profits is higher than for 83% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning The First's sales levels. The Price-to-Profit ratio (also referred to as price-earnings (P/E) ratio) is also unfavorable for The First with a rank of 33. This means that the stock price, compared with what market professionals expect for future profits, is higher than for 67% of comparable companies, indicating a low value concerning The First's profit levels. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 35, is a hold recommendation based on The First's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. The company seems confident that it can generate a reasonable return on invested capital, because it pays an above-average dividend while profits are below what you would expect for a company with this stock price. If you agree with this practice and believe that profits will return to higher levels, as the current dividend policy suggests, The First may be an attractive investment. If this is not the case, you may want to be careful with this stock as it is also expensive compared with its expected revenue levels. 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	15	24	17
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	35	43	60	33
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	59	59	62	56
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	31	39	52	55
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	35	29	50	35

Last update of Value Rank: 23-Jan-2025. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of The 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 95 (better than 95% compared with alternatives) for 2025, The First 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 four indicators above average for The First. Sales Growth has a value of 65, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow more than 65% of its competitors. The same is valid for Profit Growth with a value of 54 and for Capital Growth with 100. In addition, Stock Returns had an above-average rank value of 75, which means they have been higher than 75% of comparable investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 95, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. Since all Growth Ranks are positive, The First exhibits above-average growth momentum. This could be due to a uniquely strong market position, proprietary technology, or an extensive corporate acquisition strategy. Growth investors will find this an attractive investment opportunity, unless they expect that the current phase is transitory and will deteriorate in the future. The current performance could also be a temporary recovery from a very low point, such as a turn-around situation. In the case of a turn-around, the current performance may or may not be followed by a continuing positive development. 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	24	67	12	65
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	70	45	91	54
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	84	55	100
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	57	15	35	75
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	55	57	43	95

Last update of Growth Rank: 23-Jan-2025. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of The First.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 88 (better than 88% compared with alternatives) for 2025, the company The First has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of The First is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, where all three are above average for The First. Leverage is at 82, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 82% of its competitors. Refinancing is at a rank of 72, meaning that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 72% of its competitors. Finally, Liquidity is also good at a rank of 51, which means that the company generates more profit to service its debt than 51% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 88 (better than 88% compared with alternatives), The First has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. These three positive financing indicators signal that the company is less likely to default on its debt obligations. However, it also means that its shareholder returns will be more modest if things go well. A low safety means fewer troubles in downtimes and less upside in good times. Investors may not have a debt issue with The First but they should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	69	54	87	82
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	49	96	98	72
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	67	85	61	51
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	71	100	100	88

Last update of Safety Rank: 23-Jan-2025. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of The 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	84	87	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	50	50	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	83	76	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	4	53	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	65	78	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 23-Jan-2025. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for The First.
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