Head-To-Head Survey: Lifestore Financial Group (OTCMKTS:LSFG) & Hawthorn Bancshares (NASDAQ:HWBK)

Dividends

Hawthorn Bancshares pays an annual dividend of $0.80 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.8%. Lifestore Financial Group pays an annual dividend of $0.60 per share and has a dividend yield of 1.3%. Hawthorn Bancshares pays out 29.1% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Hawthorn Bancshares has increased its dividend for 5 consecutive years. Hawthorn Bancshares is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Profitability

This table compares Hawthorn Bancshares and Lifestore Financial Group’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Hawthorn Bancshares	16.65%	13.00%	1.00%
Lifestore Financial Group	N/A	N/A	N/A

Volatility and Risk

Hawthorn Bancshares has a beta of 0.57, meaning that its share price is 43% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Lifestore Financial Group has a beta of 0.52, meaning that its share price is 48% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Insider & Institutional Ownership

30.7% of Hawthorn Bancshares shares are held by institutional investors. 22.7% of Hawthorn Bancshares shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 12.2% of Lifestore Financial Group shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Hawthorn Bancshares and Lifestore Financial Group”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Hawthorn Bancshares	$73.90 million	2.67	$18.26 million	$2.75	10.31
Lifestore Financial Group	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Hawthorn Bancshares has higher revenue and earnings than Lifestore Financial Group.

Summary

Hawthorn Bancshares beats Lifestore Financial Group on 9 of the 10 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Hawthorn Bancshares

Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Hawthorn Bank that provides various banking services in the United States. It accepts checking, savings, money market, individual retirement, and other time deposit accounts, as well as certificates of deposit. The company also offers commercial and industrial, single payment personal, installment, commercial and residential real estate, and consumer loans, as well as equipment, operating, and small business administration loans; and debit and credit cards. In addition, it provides trust services that include estate planning, investment, and asset management services; and cash management, safety deposit box, brokerage, and Internet banking services. Hawthorn Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1865 and is headquartered in Jefferson City, Missouri.

About Lifestore Financial Group

LifeStore Financial Group, Inc. operates as a federally chartered thrift holding company for LifeStore Bank that provides personal and business banking products and services in North Carolina. The company offers checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit; mortgage loans, automobile loans, home equity lines of credit, commercial real estate loans, commercial construction loans, investment property loans, equipment loans, working capital loans/lines of credit, and small business administration loans; and credit cards. It also provides insurance agency products and services; investment and cash management services; and online and mobile banking services. The company was formerly known as AF Financial Group and changed its name to LifeStore Financial Group, Inc. in September 2009. LifeStore Financial Group, Inc. was founded in 1939 and is headquartered in West Jefferson, North Carolina. Lifestore Financial Group, Inc. operates as a subsidiary of AsheCo MHC, Inc.