ESQ vs. BFC

Last updated Jun 6, 2026

ESQ (Esquire Financial Holdings Inc) and BFC (Bank First Corporation) are both stocks. Both operate in the Banks - Regional industry within the Financial Services sector. Over the past 5 years, ESQ returned 35.09%/yr vs 16.88%/yr for BFC. At a 0.37 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ESQ vs. BFC - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Esquire Financial Holdings Inc (ESQ) and Bank First Corporation (BFC). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ESQ achieves a 6.30% return, which is significantly lower than BFC's 15.64% return.

ESQ

• 1D: -0.49%
• 1M: -0.69%
• YTD: 6.30%
• 6M: 4.57%
• 1Y: 22.75%
• 3Y*: 37.23%
• 5Y*: 35.09%
• 10Y*: —

BFC

• 1D: 0.31%
• 1M: -3.71%
• YTD: 15.64%
• 6M: 8.85%
• 1Y: 25.65%
• 3Y*: 21.40%
• 5Y*: 16.88%
• 10Y*: 19.63%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ESQ vs. BFC - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ESQ Esquire Financial Holdings Inc	6.30%	29.37%	60.89%	16.72%	38.33%	64.15%	-26.39%	20.14%	9.93%	29.44%
BFC Bank First Corporation	15.64%	28.68%	16.37%	-5.32%	30.02%	13.29%	-6.17%	52.07%	5.71%	24.27%

Correlation

The correlation between ESQ and BFC is 0.64, which is moderate. They share some common price drivers but move independently often enough to provide real diversification benefit when combined.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.64
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.58
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.49
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jun 28, 2017	0.37

Over the past year, ESQ and BFC have become more correlated (0.64) than their long-term average of 0.37, meaning their price movements have been converging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap ESQ : $940.42M BFC : $1.57B
EPS ESQ : $5.96 BFC : $7.18
PE Ratio ESQ : 18.14 BFC : 19.54
PEG Ratio ESQ : 0.63 BFC : 3.10
PS Ratio ESQ : 5.44 BFC : 5.41
PB Ratio ESQ : 3.12 BFC : 1.92
Total Revenue (TTM) ESQ : $172.32M BFC : $264.29M
Gross Profit (TTM) ESQ : $147.99M BFC : $191.50M
EBITDA (TTM) ESQ : $71.96M BFC : $94.45M

Return for Risk

ESQ vs. BFC — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ESQ

ESQ Risk / Return Rank: 64
ESQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 65
ESQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 59
ESQ Omega Ratio Rank: 57
ESQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 69
ESQ Martin Ratio Rank: 71

BFC

BFC Risk / Return Rank: 69
BFC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 70
BFC Sortino Ratio Rank: 65
BFC Omega Ratio Rank: 63
BFC Calmar Ratio Rank: 73
BFC Martin Ratio Rank: 71

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ESQ vs. BFC - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Esquire Financial Holdings Inc (ESQ) and Bank First Corporation (BFC). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ESQ	BFC	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.72	0.94	-0.22
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.19	1.47	-0.27
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.15	1.18	-0.03
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.48	1.82	-0.34
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	3.65	3.91	-0.26
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ESQ vs. BFC - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ESQ Sharpe Ratio is 0.72, which is comparable to the BFC Sharpe Ratio of 0.94. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ESQ and BFC, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ESQ	BFC	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.72	0.94	-0.22
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.13	0.62	+0.51
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.65	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.62	0.25	+0.37

Drawdowns

ESQ vs. BFC - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ESQ drawdown since its inception was -56.52%, smaller than the maximum BFC drawdown of -82.02%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ESQ and BFC.

Drawdown Indicators

	ESQ	BFC	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-56.52%	-82.02%	+25.50%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.42%	-14.17%	-1.25%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-20.68%	-15.70%	-4.98%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-24.78%	-32.75%	+7.97%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-39.78%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.17%	-7.23%	+0.06%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-10.72%	-27.18%	+16.46%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.25%	6.58%	-0.33%

Volatility

ESQ vs. BFC - Volatility Comparison

Esquire Financial Holdings Inc (ESQ) has a higher volatility of 7.96% compared to Bank First Corporation (BFC) at 5.76%. This indicates that ESQ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BFC based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ESQ	BFC	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.96%	5.76%	+2.20%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	24.40%	16.91%	+7.49%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	31.61%	27.38%	+4.23%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	31.23%	27.23%	+4.00%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	40.59%	30.31%	+10.28%

Dividends

ESQ vs. BFC - Dividend Comparison

ESQ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.69%, less than BFC's 1.32% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
BFC Bank First Corporation	1.32%	4.35%	1.56%	1.33%	1.01%	1.58%	1.25%	1.14%	1.46%	1.43%	1.77%	2.23%
ESQ Esquire Financial Holdings Inc	0.69%	0.69%	0.75%	0.95%	0.65%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

ESQ vs. BFC - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Esquire Financial Holdings Inc and Bank First Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

ESQ - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Esquire Financial Holdings Inc reported a gross profit of 40.46M and revenue of 45.49M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 88.9%.

BFC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Bank First Corporation reported a gross profit of 63.91M and revenue of 84.30M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 75.8%.

ESQ - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Esquire Financial Holdings Inc reported an operating income of 17.10M and revenue of 45.49M, resulting in an operating margin of 37.6%.

BFC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Bank First Corporation reported an operating income of 24.69M and revenue of 84.30M, resulting in an operating margin of 29.3%.

ESQ - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Esquire Financial Holdings Inc reported a net income of 12.21M and revenue of 45.49M, resulting in a net margin of 26.8%.

BFC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Bank First Corporation reported a net income of 19.99M and revenue of 84.30M, resulting in a net margin of 23.7%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ESQ and BFC in my portfolio?

ESQ and BFC have a correlation of 0.64, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ESQ or BFC?

ESQ has higher volatility (7.96%) compared to BFC (5.76%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ESQ dropped -56.52% vs BFC's -82.02%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

BFC currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.94 vs 0.72), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.