FCNCA vs. ITUB: First Citizens BancShares vs. Itaú Unibanco Stock Comparison

Company Profile

First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) are both classified in the Diversified Banks sub-industry within the broader Banks industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) trades as ordinary local shares, while Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) trades as an ADR — compare with FX exposure, depositary-program fees, and dividend-withholding-tax differences in mind.

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

Trailing Returns

Calendar-Year Returns

Performance Metrics

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

Return Distribution

Risk Metrics

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) is heavily traded at around 31.15M shares per day, whereas First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) is thinly traded at only 68.57K — larger orders in the latter may face more price impact or wider spreads, depending on market conditions.

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Profitability

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 20.96% clears its industry range for ROE, a sharper capital-efficiency signal than First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) at 10.98%, which is closer to a typical peer reading.

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 32.46% keeps about the industry-typical share of revenue as profit, while First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) at 25.21% retains only a bottom-quartile share.

Neither side reports a meaningful operating margin: for First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) in Banks and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) in Banks, funding costs are part of the core business, so net margin and ROE are the cleaner profitability reads.

Profitability Metrics

Growth

Both First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) at -2.61% and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 4.21% post bottom-quartile revenue growth versus peers, pointing to weaker demand or pricing momentum than typical rivals.

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 9.21% is around its peer norm for EPS growth, while First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) at -12.76% drops into the bottom quartile, signaling weaker earnings momentum.

Growth Metrics

Financial Strength

current ratio doesn’t apply on either side: First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) in Banks and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) in Banks both report balance sheets without a current/non-current split, so their short-term liquidity is better judged through regulatory and funding measures.

debt-to-equity ratio is set aside for both: First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) in Banks and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) in Banks run businesses where balance-sheet leverage is part of the model, so capital-adequacy and funding measures are the better gauges of balance-sheet risk.

Financial Strength Metrics

Dividends

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 40.54% yields beyond its industry’s entire range — a level that invites a dividend-safety check — while First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) at 0.36% sits in the bottom quartile of its peers.

First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) at 4.31% retains more earnings than its industry usually does; Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 70.75% distributes an above-typical share — opposite departures from the band, with the risk sitting on ITUB’s side.

Dividend Metrics

Valuation

Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 9.12 sits in the cheaper P/E ratio quartile, while First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) at 11.68 is closer to its industry’s usual earnings multiple — a discount for ITUB, though growth and earnings durability still matter.

P/S ratio is set aside for both First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) in Banks and Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) in Banks: without a conventional revenue line, pricing per dollar of sales isn’t meaningful, and book- or earnings-based multiples make the better comparison.

First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) at 1.29 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Itaú Unibanco (ITUB) at 1.79 carries an above-peer premium to book — ITUB is pricier on assets.

Valuation Metrics