Esquire Financial (ESQ) vs Lakeland Financial (LKFN)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
Esquire Financial (ESQ) has outperformed Lakeland Financial (LKFN) over the past year, gaining 13.6% versus a loss of 9.8%. Over five years, ESQ leads with a +264.0% price change compared with -24.5% for LKFN. Esquire Financial is the larger company by market cap ($1.44 billion vs $1.41 billion), about 1.0 times the size.
On valuation, Lakeland Financial trades at a lower forward P/E (12.6x vs 14.0x for Esquire Financial). Lakeland Financial offers the higher dividend yield (3.62% vs 0.63%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | ESQ | LKFN |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $118.57 | $56.84 |
| Market cap | $1.44B | $1.41B |
| 1-day change | +0.43% | -1.06% |
| YTD return | +15.67% | -0.39% |
| 1-year return | +13.57% | -9.76% |
| 5-year return | +264.05% | -24.51% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 19.57 | 13.04 |
| Forward P/E | 14.00 | 12.61 |
| EPS (TTM) | $6.06 | $4.36 |
| Dividend yield | 0.63% | 3.62% |
| Annual dividend | $0.75 | $2.06 |
| 52-week high | $134.82 | $64.55 |
| 52-week low | $92.10 | $54.36 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -12.05% | -11.94% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | hold |
| Avg. price target upside | +13.01% | +17.00% |
| Average volume | 167.07K | 172.26K |
| Shares outstanding | 12.10M | 24.86M |
| Employees | 151 | 695 |
| Sector | Finance | Finance |
| Industry | Commercial Banks | Major Banks |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- ESQ has outperformed LKFN by 23.3 percentage points over the past year.
- Esquire Financial trades at a higher earnings multiple (19.6x vs 13.0x trailing P/E).
- Lakeland Financial offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (3.62% vs 0.63%).
About Esquire Financial
ESQ stock →Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Esquire Bank, National Association that provides commercial banking products and services to legal and small businesses, and commercial and retail customers in the United States.
Finance · Commercial Banks · 151 employees
About Lakeland Financial
LKFN stock →Lakeland Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Lake City Bank that provides various banking products and services in the United States. The company accepts various deposit products, such as noninterest bearing, interest-bearing checking, savings, money market, NOW, and demand deposits.
Finance · Major Banks · 695 employees
ESQ vs LKFN FAQ
Which is bigger, Esquire Financial or Lakeland Financial?
Esquire Financial (ESQ) is larger, with a market capitalization of $1.44B compared with $1.41B for Lakeland Financial (LKFN).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, ESQ or LKFN?
ESQ returned +13.57% over the past 12 months, compared with -9.76% for LKFN (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, ESQ or LKFN?
LKFN has the lower trailing P/E at 13.0, versus 19.6 for ESQ. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Esquire Financial or Lakeland Financial?
Lakeland Financial has the higher yield at 3.62%, compared with 0.63% for Esquire Financial.
Are Esquire Financial and Lakeland Financial in the same industry?
Both are in the Finance sector, but in different industries: Commercial Banks for Esquire Financial and Major Banks for Lakeland Financial.