Southern First Bancshares Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Southern First Bancshares Inc (SFST) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Southern First Bancshares Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 135M vs 611,776M combined for its competitors (0.0% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+7.3% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs holding steady (+1.9%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Southern First Bancshares Inc generated 19.3% revenue growth year over year in Q3 2026, vs 8.5% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 33.8% net margin compares with 26.0% for the peer group.
- Scale: Southern First Bancshares Inc ranks #64 of 84 companies by market capitalization in the Commercial Banks industry, holding 0.0% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Southern First Bancshares Inc accounted for 0.0% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 0.0% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.43M compares with $0.52M for the peer group (0.8x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
SFST Sales vs. its Competitors, Q3 2026
Southern First Bancshares Inc reported revenue growth of 19.32 % year on year in Q3 2026, above its competitors' combined revenue growth of 8.48 %.
With a net margin of 33.84 %, Southern First Bancshares Inc achieved higher profitability than its competitors (25.98 %).
Southern First Bancshares Inc generated 0.02 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 0.02 % a year earlier.
API endpoints for this dataset
Southern First Bancshares Inc vs. its Competitors, Q3 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in Southern First Bancshares Inc reports; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Southern First Bancshares Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Southern First Bancshares Inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (7) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Southern First Bancshares Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Commercial Banks industry grew revenue -5.7% year over year, combined, vs 19.3% for Southern First Bancshares Inc. Southern First Bancshares Inc's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.01% to 0.01%, a gain of 0.00 percentage points.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern First Bancshares Inc | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Competitors combined (152) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
SFST Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
SFST Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Optimumbank Holdings Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Old Point Financial Corp | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Eagle Bancorp Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Community Ban corp | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Lionsgate Studios Corp | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Southern First Bancshares Inc's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Southern First Bancshares Inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Southern First Bancshares Inc |
567.05 | 134.67 |
 Jpmorgan Chase and Co |
897,436.67 | 190,733.00 |
 Bank Of America Corporation |
356,921.12 | 122,968.00 |
 Wells Fargo and Company |
256,142.91 | 85,055.00 |
 Citigroup inc |
206,640.54 | 91,360.00 |
 Capital one financial corp |
123,039.77 | 54,798.00 |
| SUBTOTAL | 2,614,829.98 | 821,694.63 |
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Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Southern First Bancshares Inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Southern First Bancshares Inc reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Bank Of South Carolina Corporation | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Southern First Bancshares Inc's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Citigroup inc | Markets 29.42 % |
| Capital one financial corp | Credit Card 74.32 % |
| D r Horton Inc | HomeBuildingOps 94.14 % |
| Citizens Financial Group Inc | Consumer Banking 73.64 % |
| Pultegroup Inc | Florida 27.75 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
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Southern First Bancshares Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern First Bancshares Inc | 567 | 427,511 | 137,035 |
| Jpmorgan Chase and Co | 897,437 | 598,825 | 204,714 |
| Bank Of America Corporation | 356,921 | 577,315 | 150,793 |
| Wells Fargo and Company | 256,143 | 355,879 | 96,699 |
| Citigroup inc | 206,641 | 404,248 | 80,004 |
| Capital one financial corp | 123,040 | 718,191 | 142,595 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 2,614,263 | 518,120 | 134,263 |
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Southern First Bancshares Inc's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent report. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Lionsgate Studios Corp | UNITED STATES 64.70 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 81 companies in Southern First Bancshares Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Southern First Bancshares Inc ranks #64 of 81 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.02 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 1,882, indicating a moderately concentrated market structure (see Methodology: Market Structure & Concentration).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jpmorgan Chase and Co | 901,183 | 37.41 % |
| 2 | Bank Of America Corporation | 360,479 | 14.96 % |
| 3 | Wells Fargo and Company | 258,082 | 10.71 % |
| 4 | Citigroup inc | 206,641 | 8.58 % |
| 5 | Capital one financial corp | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Us Bancorp De | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Pnc Financial Services Group Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Truist Financial Corporation | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Shinhan Financial Group Co Ltd | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Huntington Bancshares Incorporated | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 64 | Southern First Bancshares Inc | 552 | 0.02 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Southern First Bancshares Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-11-06.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 59 | Peoples Financial Services Corp | 725 | 55.99 % |
| 60 | California Bancorp Ca | 706 | 16.02 % |
| 61 | Capital Bancorp Inc | 694 | 50.55 % |
| 62 | Arrow Financial Corporation | 633 | 42.55 % |
| 63 | Carter bankshares inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 64 | Southern First Bancshares Inc | 552 | 31.83 % |
| 65 | First Bancorp Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 66 | Fidelity D and D Bancorp Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 67 | Chain Bridge Bancorp Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 68 | Ames National Corporation | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 69 | First United Corporation | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Southern First Bancshares Inc's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-11-06. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Commercial Banks industry average (2 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Commercial Banks industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 12.7x | 10.9x | +1.8x |
| EV / EBITDA | 1.1x | 5.2x | -4.2x |
| P/B | 1.4x | 1.6x | -0.2x |
| Return on Equity | 10.39 % | industry aggregate | -2.57 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | - | 0.00 % (avg) | - |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 17.44 % | 16.80 % | -2.99 % | 51.15 % | -13.81 % | -35.91 % | 43.98 % | 23.49 % |
| Operating Margin | 41.91 % | 44.38 % | 30.71 % | 51.87 % | 37.72 % | - | - | - |
| Return on Invested Capital | 8.02 % | 7.88 % | 4.48 % | 10.10 % | 1.68 % | - | 0.45 % | 0.84 % |
| P/E | 12.1x | 11.8x | 14.8x | 10.5x | 12.6x | 17.8x | 20.9x | 12.8x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
See Methodology: BCG Growth-Share Matrix for how relative share and growth are calculated and thresholded.
Southern First Bancshares Inc falls in the Question Mark quadrant: relative market share of 0.00x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 11.3% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution. A caveat worth reading alongside this chart: Jpmorgan Chase and Co alone holds 37% of this industry's market cap. In an industry this dominated by one leader, the framework will place nearly every OTHER company in "Dog" or "Question Mark" purely because relative share is measured against that leader, regardless of how strong those other companies actually are on their own fundamentals. Check the Profitability, Valuation and Financial Strength sections above before treating this quadrant label as a verdict.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Moderate | Industry HHI of 1,882 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 2.08 % vs industry average 0.98 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on Southern First Bancshares Inc's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
Southern First Bancshares Inc falls in the Medium attractiveness / Low strength cell: Harvest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+7.3% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Outperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Weaknesses
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.00x).
Opportunities
- Industry revenue growing at a healthy 11.3% median pace.
Threats
- Industry dominated by Jpmorgan Chase and Co, holding 37.41 % of industry market cap.
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern First Bancshares Inc | 0.07 | 1.63 | 0.05 |
| Jpmorgan Chase and Co | 0.15 | 0.42 | 1.41 |
| Bank Of America Corporation | 0.10 | 0.52 | 1.27 |
| Wells Fargo and Company | 0.11 | 0.80 | 1.16 |
| Citigroup inc | 0.07 | 0.40 | 1.78 |
| Capital one financial corp | 0.05 | 1.03 | 0.58 |
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Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern First Bancshares Inc | Q3 2026 | +19.3 % | +41.2 % |
| Jpmorgan Chase and Co | Q3 2026 | +10.2 % | +9.0 % |
| Bank Of America Corporation | Q3 2026 | +3.2 % | -16.8 % |
| Wells Fargo and Company | Q3 2026 | +5.4 % | +6.9 % |
| Citigroup inc | Q2 2026 | +14.3 % | +44.6 % |
| Capital one financial corp | Q3 2026 | +29.3 % | +12.0 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +9.4 % | +7.6 % |
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Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern First Bancshares Inc | Q3 2026 | +64.7 % | +961.4 % |
| Jpmorgan Chase and Co | Q3 2026 | -12.8 % | - |
| Bank Of America Corporation | Q3 2026 | - | - |
| Wells Fargo and Company | Q3 2026 | +31.5 % | - |
| Citigroup inc | Q2 2026 | - | -11.6 % |
| Capital one financial corp | Q3 2026 | +7.4 % | +1.3 % |
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Southern First Bancshares Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern First Bancshares Inc | 0.93% | 0.93% | 10.39% |
| Jpmorgan Chase and Co | 1.34% | 1.65% | 17.70% |
| Bank Of America Corporation | 0.93% | 1.18% | 10.69% |
| Wells Fargo and Company | 1.04% | 1.23% | 12.78% |
| Citigroup inc | 0.66% | 0.69% | 8.46% |
| Capital one financial corp | 1.61% | 1.59% | 9.69% |
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ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Southern First Bancshares Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Southern First Bancshares Inc | 12.15 | 4.21 |
| Jpmorgan Chase and Co | 14.07 | 4.71 |
| Bank Of America Corporation | 11.79 | 2.90 |
| Wells Fargo and Company | 11.91 | 3.01 |
| Citigroup inc | 12.90 | 2.26 |
| Capital one financial corp | 11.48 | 2.25 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 12.28 | 3.18 |
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P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.