Southern First vs Diamond Hill

Southern First vs Diamond Hill: this page compares their business models, financial performance, and market context in a neutral, accessible way. Explore how each organisation approaches growth, risk, and client service within its sector, and how those strategies shape outcomes. Educational content, not financial advice.

Comparison Snapshot

Key Financial Metrics

SFST

Metric

DHIL

$445.61M

Market Cap

$413.41M

56.95%

Potential Profit

N/A

Buy

Analyst Rating

N/A

Investment Analysis

Southern First

SFST

Pros

Southern First Bancshares operates as the holding company for Southern First Bank, providing a diverse range of loan products and banking services across multiple states.
The company offers various deposit products including checking, savings, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit, supporting stable funding sources.
Recent after-hours price movement showed a significant positive gain, indicating potential investor confidence or positive market reaction.

Considerations

The Price/Earnings ratio is higher than sector averages, indicating Southern First may be valued at a premium relative to peers.
The PEG ratio suggests growth expectations might be somewhat lower compared to sector and peers, potentially limiting upside from growth.
Analyst price targets show minimal upside compared to current valuation, implying modest market expectations for stock appreciation.

Diamond Hill

DHIL

Pros

Diamond Hill Investment Group has demonstrated strong financial efficiency with a return on equity near 28%, reflecting profitable capital utilisation.
The company’s revenue grew by over 10% in the recent year, supported by a steady increase in earnings.
Diamond Hill maintains a very low debt-to-equity ratio, indicating a strong balance sheet and limited financial risk.

Considerations

The stock price declined nearly 17% over the past year, reflecting recent market challenges or investor concerns.
The Piotroski F-Score of 4 signals some weakness in fundamental financial health or profitability quality metrics.
The company lacks a forward price-to-earnings ratio, which may reflect uncertainty in future earnings prospects or analyst coverage.

About The Companies

Southern First (SFST)

Southern First Bancshares (SFST) is a small‑capitalisation banking group (market cap US$345.64m) that operates in the regional banking sector. Investors should know its performance is typically driven by net interest margin, loan growth, deposit trends and credit quality rather than broad-market momentum. As a smaller bank, it can be more sensitive to local economic conditions, funding costs and regulatory changes. Key metrics to track include loan loss provisions, non-performing assets, capital ratios and deposit stability. Market capitalisation in this range often means lower liquidity and higher share-price volatility compared with larger banks. Income from interest and fee-based services can support earnings, but dividends — if paid — are subject to board discretion and regulatory limits. This summary aims to inform general research and is not personal investment advice; values can rise and fall and past performance is not a guarantee of future returns.

Diamond Hill (DHIL)

Diamond Hill Investment Group Inc. is an American financial services company that provides investment advisory and fund administration services. It operates primarily through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Diamond Hill Capital Management (DHCM). DHCM serves as an investment adviser and administrator for the Diamond Hill Funds, a series of mutual funds. The company also offers its services to private funds, separately managed accounts for institutional clients, and other pooled investment vehicles. Diamond Hill focuses on offering a range of investment strategies tailored for long-term, institutionally-oriented investors. By providing these specialised portfolio management services, the firm has established itself within the competitive asset management industry. As with any investment, its value can go down as well as up.

Which Baskets Do They Appear In?

Riding The Southeast Consolidation Wave

The merger of Pinnacle Financial and Synovus Financial creates a dominant regional bank in the Southeastern U.S. This major deal could trigger a wave of consolidation, creating opportunities among other regional banks poised for similar strategic moves.

Published: July 26, 2025

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Which Baskets Do They Appear In?

Riding The Southeast Consolidation Wave

Published: July 26, 2025

Explore Basket

Buy SFST or DHIL in Nemo

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6% Interest on Cash

Earn 6% AER on uninvested cash with daily interest payments.

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Comparison Snapshot