Berry (NASDAQ:BRY – Get Free Report) and Houston American Energy (NYSE:HUSA – Get Free Report) are both small-cap oils/energy companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, risk, earnings, dividends, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.
Profitability
This table compares Berry and Houston American Energy’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| Berry | 9.40% | 6.50% | 2.98% |
| Houston American Energy | -544.15% | -6.10% | -5.86% |
Earnings and Valuation
This table compares Berry and Houston American Energy”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| Berry | $806.73 million | 0.41 | $37.40 million | $1.08 | 4.00 |
| Houston American Energy | $640,348.00 | 28.41 | -$3.21 million | ($0.32) | -4.34 |
Analyst Recommendations
This is a summary of current ratings and target prices for Berry and Houston American Energy, as reported by MarketBeat.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| Berry | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Houston American Energy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Berry currently has a consensus target price of $5.00, indicating a potential upside of 15.74%. Given Berry’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities research analysts clearly believe Berry is more favorable than Houston American Energy.
Insider & Institutional Ownership
94.9% of Berry shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 12.2% of Houston American Energy shares are owned by institutional investors. 1.0% of Berry shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 15.4% of Houston American Energy shares are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.
Risk and Volatility
Berry has a beta of 1.64, suggesting that its stock price is 64% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Houston American Energy has a beta of 0.46, suggesting that its stock price is 54% less volatile than the S&P 500.
Summary
Berry beats Houston American Energy on 11 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.
About Berry
Berry Petroleum Company, LLC., formerly Berry Petroleum Company, is an independent energy company. The Company is engaged in the production, development, exploitation, and acquisition of oil and natural gas. The Company’s principal reserves and producing properties are located in California (South Midway-Sunset (SMWSS)-Steam Floods, North Midway-Sunset (NMWSS)-Diatomite, NMWSS-New Steam Floods, Texas (Permian and E. Texas), Utah (Uinta) and Colorado (Piceance). The Company’s operations are conducted in the continental United States. In December 2013, Linn Energy LLC and Linn Co, LLC (Linn Co) announced the completion of the merger between LinnCo and Berry Petroleum Company (Berry), where LinnCo had acquired all of Berry’s interest.
About Houston American Energy
Houston American Energy Corp., an independent oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, exploitation, development, and production of natural gas, crude oil, and condensate. Its principal properties are located primarily in the Texas Permian Basin, the South American country of Colombia, and the onshore Louisiana Gulf Coast region. The company is based in Houston, Texas.
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