Reviewing BARK (NYSE:BARK) and Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI)

Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI) and BARK (NYSE:BARK) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, valuation, risk, institutional ownership, profitability and dividends.

Risk & Volatility

Bath & Body Works has a beta of 1.83, meaning that its stock price is 83% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, BARK has a beta of 1.92, meaning that its stock price is 92% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Recommendations

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Bath & Body Works and BARK, as provided by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Bath & Body Works	1	6	9	0	2.50
BARK	0	1	2	0	2.67

Bath & Body Works currently has a consensus price target of $42.50, suggesting a potential upside of 12.73%. BARK has a consensus price target of $2.30, suggesting a potential upside of 16.75%. Given BARK’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe BARK is more favorable than Bath & Body Works.

Profitability

This table compares Bath & Body Works and BARK’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Bath & Body Works	12.43%	-44.03%	14.45%
BARK	-6.20%	-17.69%	-7.84%

Insider and Institutional Ownership

95.1% of Bath & Body Works shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 28.8% of BARK shares are held by institutional investors. 0.3% of Bath & Body Works shares are held by company insiders. Comparatively, 14.8% of BARK shares are held 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.

Valuation and Earnings

This table compares Bath & Body Works and BARK”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Bath & Body Works	$7.43 billion	1.10	$878.00 million	$4.10	9.20
BARK	$488.88 million	0.70	-$37.01 million	($0.18)	-10.94

Bath & Body Works has higher revenue and earnings than BARK. BARK is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Bath & Body Works, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Summary

Bath & Body Works beats BARK on 9 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Bath & Body Works

Bath & Body Works, Inc. operates a specialty retailer of home fragrance, body care, and soaps and sanitizer products. It sells its products under the Bath & Body Works, White Barn, and other brand names through retail stores and e-commerce sites located in the United States and Canada, as well as through international stores operated by partners under franchise, license, and wholesale arrangements. The company was formerly known as L Brands, Inc. and changed its name to Bath & Body Works, Inc. in August 2021. Bath & Body Works, Inc. was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

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.