Berry Corporation (NASDAQ:BRY) Looks Inexpensive But Perhaps Not Attractive Enough

You may think that with a price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.4x Berry Corporation (NASDAQ:BRY) is a stock worth checking out, seeing as almost half of all the Oil and Gas companies in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 1.9x and even P/S higher than 4x aren't out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.

See our latest analysis for Berry

How Has Berry Performed Recently?

With revenue that's retreating more than the industry's average of late, Berry has been very sluggish. It seems that many are expecting the dismal revenue performance to persist, which has repressed the P/S. You'd much rather the company improve its revenue performance if you still believe in the business. If not, then existing shareholders will probably struggle to get excited about the future direction of the share price.

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Berry will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/S?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the industry for P/S ratios like Berry's to be considered reasonable.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 9.3%. Even so, admirably revenue has lifted 67% in aggregate from three years ago, notwithstanding the last 12 months. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would definitely welcome the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to slump, contracting by 19% during the coming year according to the three analysts following the company. That's not great when the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 6.3%.

In light of this, it's understandable that Berry's P/S would sit below the majority of other companies. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/S has reached a floor yet with revenue going in reverse. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as the weak outlook is weighing down the shares.

The Bottom Line On Berry's P/S

It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

It's clear to see that Berry maintains its low P/S on the weakness of its forecast for sliding revenue, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Berry that you should be aware of.

Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.