Comparing Landmark Bancorp (NASDAQ:LARK) and KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY)

KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY) and Landmark Bancorp (NASDAQ:LARK) are both finance companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their earnings, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, risk, valuation, dividends and profitability.

Dividends

KeyCorp pays an annual dividend of $0.82 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.8%. Landmark Bancorp pays an annual dividend of $0.84 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.0%. KeyCorp pays out 8,200.0% of its earnings in the form of a dividend, suggesting it may not have sufficient earnings to cover its dividend payment in the future. Landmark Bancorp pays out 37.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. KeyCorp has raised its dividend for 13 consecutive years and Landmark Bancorp has raised its dividend for 5 consecutive years. KeyCorp is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Valuation & Earnings

This table compares KeyCorp and Landmark Bancorp”s revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
KeyCorp	$5.09 billion	3.16	$967.00 million	$0.01	1,704.00
Landmark Bancorp	$57.84 million	2.02	$12.24 million	$2.26	9.38

KeyCorp has higher revenue and earnings than Landmark Bancorp. Landmark Bancorp is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than KeyCorp, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

79.7% of KeyCorp shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 25.7% of Landmark Bancorp shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.6% of KeyCorp shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 17.2% of Landmark Bancorp shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility & Risk

KeyCorp has a beta of 1.24, meaning that its share price is 24% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Landmark Bancorp has a beta of 0.43, meaning that its share price is 57% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares KeyCorp and Landmark Bancorp’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
KeyCorp	0.76%	8.24%	0.56%
Landmark Bancorp	14.36%	9.71%	0.79%

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings for KeyCorp and Landmark Bancorp, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
KeyCorp	0	8	11	0	2.58
Landmark Bancorp	0	0	0	0	N/A

KeyCorp presently has a consensus price target of $17.79, suggesting a potential upside of 4.43%. Given KeyCorp’s higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe KeyCorp is more favorable than Landmark Bancorp.

Summary

KeyCorp beats Landmark Bancorp on 10 of the 16 factors compared between the two stocks.

About KeyCorp

KeyCorp operates as the holding company for KeyBank National Association that provides various retail and commercial banking products and services in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer Bank and Commercial Bank. The company offers various deposits, investment products and services; commercial leasing, investment management, consumer finance; and personal finance and financial wellness, student loan refinancing, mortgage and home equity, lending, credit card, treasury, business advisory, wealth management, asset management, cash management, portfolio management, and trust and related services to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses. It also provides a suite of banking and capital market products, such as syndicated finance, debt and equity capital market products, commercial payments, equipment finance, commercial mortgage banking, derivatives, foreign exchange, financial advisory, and public finance, as well as commercial mortgage loans to consumer, energy, healthcare, industrial, public sector, real estate, and technology sectors for middle market clients. In addition, the company offers community development financing, securities underwriting, brokerage, and investment banking services. The company was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

About Landmark Bancorp

Landmark Bancorp, Inc. operates as the financial holding company for Landmark National Bank that provides various financial and banking services to its local communities. It offers non-interest bearing demand, money market, checking, and savings accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company also provides one-to-four family residential real estate, construction and land, commercial real estate, commercial, paycheck protection program, municipal, and agriculture loans; and consumer and other loans, such as automobile, boat, and home improvement and home equity loans, as well as insurance, and mobile and online banking services. In addition, the company invests in certain investment and mortgage-related securities. It operates in the eastern, central, southeast, and southwest Kansas. The company was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in Manhattan, Kansas.