BARK (NYSE:BARK) vs. Emerald (NYSE:EEX) Critical Survey

BARK (NYSE:BARK) and Emerald (NYSE:EEX) are both small-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the better business? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, earnings, dividends, risk, valuation and profitability.

Insider and Institutional Ownership

28.8% of BARK shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 14.9% of Emerald shares are owned by institutional investors. 14.8% of BARK shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 4.0% of Emerald shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Profitability

This table compares BARK and Emerald’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
BARK	-6.34%	-15.32%	-5.91%
Emerald	1.83%	2.03%	0.70%

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares BARK and Emerald”s gross revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
BARK	$484.18 million	0.30	-$32.88 million	($0.17)	-4.95
Emerald	$398.80 million	2.51	$2.20 million	$0.05	101.10

Emerald has lower revenue, but higher earnings than BARK. BARK is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Emerald, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility & Risk

BARK has a beta of 1.88, indicating that its share price is 88% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Emerald has a beta of 1.19, indicating that its share price is 19% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of recent recommendations and price targets for BARK and Emerald, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
BARK	0	1	2	0	2.67
Emerald	0	0	2	0	3.00

BARK currently has a consensus price target of $2.63, suggesting a potential upside of 211.76%. Emerald has a consensus price target of $7.95, suggesting a potential upside of 57.27%. Given BARK’s higher probable upside, equities research analysts plainly believe BARK is more favorable than Emerald.

Summary

Emerald beats BARK on 8 of the 13 factors compared between the two stocks.

About BARK

BARK Inc., a dog-centric company, provides products, services, and content for dogs. It operates in two segments, Direct to Consumer and Commerce. The company serves dogs through monthly subscription services. It is also involved in the design of playstyle-specific toys, satisfying treats, personal meal plans with supplements, and dog-first experiences designed to foster health and happiness of dogs everywhere. In addition, the company offers monthly themed box of toys and treats under the BarkBox and Super Chewer names; personalized meal plans under the BARK Food name; health and wellness products under the BARK Bright name; and dog beds, bowls, collars, harnesses, and leashes under the BARK Home brand. Further, the company sells BARK Home products through BarkShop.com. Additionally, it offers custom collections through online marketplaces, and brick and mortar retailers. The company was formerly known as The Original BARK Company and changed its name to BARK, Inc. in November 2021. BARK Inc. was incorporated in 2011 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

About Emerald

Emerald Holding, Inc. operates business-to-business (B2B) trade shows in the United States. The company provides B2B trade show franchises; and B2B print publications and digital media products, which provide industry specific business news and information across various sectors. It also offers B2B e-commerce and digital merchandising solutions to manufacturers and retailers through Elastic Suite and Bulletin platforms. The company serves retail, design, technology, equipment, and safety and security. Emerald Holding, Inc. was incorporated in 2013 and is headquartered in New York, New York.