Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Barnwell Industries, Inc. (BRN) vs California Resources Corporation (CRC) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | CRC | 5.1% revenue growth vs BRN's -36.9% |
| Quality / Margins | CRC | 10.9% net margin vs BRN's -53.1% |
| Stability / Safety | BRN | Beta 0.18 vs CRC's 1.26, lower leverage |
| Dividends | CRC | 2.4% yield; 3-year raise streak; BRN pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CRC | +35.4% vs BRN's -21.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | CRC | 5.7% ROA vs BRN's -30.7%, ROIC 14.5% vs -61.9% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Barnwell Industries is an oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in Canada and land investments in Hawaii. It generates revenue primarily from oil and gas production in Alberta—roughly 70% of total revenue—with additional income from land investment activities and contract drilling services. The company's key advantage lies in its established land positions and operational expertise in Alberta's oil fields, though its small scale limits competitive moats.
California Resources Corporation is an independent oil and natural gas exploration and production company focused exclusively on California. It generates revenue primarily from crude oil sales (~60%), natural gas and natural gas liquids (~25%), and electricity generation from its cogeneration facilities (~15%). The company's key advantage is its extensive mineral acreage position—approximately 1.9 million net acres—in a mature, high-barrier-to-entry California market with established infrastructure.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
CRC leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). BRN leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CRC is the larger business by revenue, generating $3.5B annually — 283.9x BRN's $12M. CRC is the more profitable business, keeping 10.9% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to BRN's -53.1%. On growth, CRC holds the edge at -11.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | BRNBarnwell Industri… | CRCCalifornia Resour… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $12M | $3.5B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$3M | $1.4B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$7M | $384M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$607,000 | $545M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +8.6% | +37.9% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -50.9% | +21.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -53.1% | +10.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -4.9% | +15.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -40.2% | -11.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +31.6% | -79.9% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | BRNBarnwell Industri… | CRCCalifornia Resour… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $14M | $5.36T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $12M | $5.36T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -1.65x | 12.74x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 45.26x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 4761.27x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 1.04x | 1812.76x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.63x | 1.35x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 9999.00x |
Profitability & Efficiency
CRC delivers a 11.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $11 in annual profit, vs $-81 for BRN. BRN carries lower financial leverage with a 0.04x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to CRC's 0.35x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CRC scores 3/9 vs BRN's 2/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | BRNBarnwell Industri… | CRCCalifornia Resour… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -80.6% | +11.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -30.7% | +5.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -61.9% | +14.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -27.5% | +13.7% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 2 | 3 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.04x | 0.35x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | -$3M | $851M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $3M | $372M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $264,000 | $1.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -991.14x | 5.95x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in CRC five years ago would be worth $24,361 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $3,738 for BRN. Over the past 12 months, CRC leads with a +35.4% total return vs BRN's -21.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CRC at 14.3% vs BRN's -21.4% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | BRNBarnwell Industri… | CRCCalifornia Resour… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -0.9% | +26.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -21.9% | +35.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -51.5% | +49.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -62.6% | +143.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -6.5% | +1037.4% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -21.4% | +14.3% |
Risk & Volatility
BRN is the less volatile stock with a 0.18 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than CRC's 1.26 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. CRC currently trades 98.0% from its 52-week high vs BRN's 50.0% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | BRNBarnwell Industri… | CRCCalifornia Resour… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.18x | 1.26x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $2.28 | $60.03 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.93 | $30.97 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +50.0% | +98.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 50.2 | 61.0 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 126K | 696K |
Analyst Outlook
CRC is the only dividend payer here at 2.36% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | BRNBarnwell Industri… | CRCCalifornia Resour… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $65.71 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 23 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +2.4% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 2 | 3 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $1.39 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnwell Industries… (BRN) | 100 | 170 | +70.0% |
| California Resource… (CRC) | 100 | 843.06 | +743.1% |
California Resource… (CRC) returned +144% over 5 years vs Barnwell Industries… (BRN)'s -63%. A $10,000 investment in CRC 5 years ago would be worth $24,361 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnwell Industries… (BRN) | $13M | $14M | +3.1% |
| California Resource… (CRC) | $1.8B | $3.0B | +68.7% |
Barnwell Industries, Inc.'s revenue grew from $13M (2016) to $14M (2025) — a 0.3% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnwell Industries… (BRN) | -27.2% | -50.4% | -85.4% |
| California Resource… (CRC) | 15.9% | 12.7% | -20.1% |
Barnwell Industries, Inc.'s net margin went from -27% (2016) to -50% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnwell Industries… (BRN) | 14.9 | 5.2 | -65.1% |
| California Resource… (CRC) | 2.5 | 11.2 | +348.0% |
Barnwell Industries, Inc. has traded in a 4x–15x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~-2x. California Resources Corporation has traded in a 1x–11x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~13x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnwell Industries… (BRN) | -0.44 | -0.69 | -56.8% |
| California Resource… (CRC) | 6.76 | 4.62 | -31.7% |
Barnwell Industries, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.44 (2016) to $-0.69 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Barnwell Industries, Inc. generated $-5M FCF in 2025 (-348% vs 2021). California Resources Corporation generated $350M FCF in 2024 (-25% vs 2021).
BRN vs CRC: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is BRN or CRC a better buy right now?
California Resources Corporation (CRC) offers the better valuation at 12.7x trailing P/E (45.3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate California Resources Corporation (CRC) a "Buy" — based on 23 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — BRN or CRC?
Over the past 5 years, California Resources Corporation (CRC) delivered a total return of +143.6%, compared to -62.6% for Barnwell Industries, Inc. (BRN). A $10,000 investment in CRC five years ago would be worth approximately $24K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CRC returned +1037% versus BRN's -6.5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — BRN or CRC?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Barnwell Industries, Inc. (BRN) is the lower-risk stock at 0.18β versus California Resources Corporation's 1.26β — meaning CRC is approximately 586% more volatile than BRN relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Barnwell Industries, Inc. (BRN) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 4% versus 35% for California Resources Corporation — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — BRN or CRC?
California Resources Corporation (CRC) is the more profitable company, earning 12.7% net margin versus -50.4% for Barnwell Industries, Inc. — meaning it keeps 12.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CRC leads at 22.0% versus -39.1% for BRN. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — CRC leads at 40.6%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Which pays a better dividend — BRN or CRC?
In this comparison, CRC (2.4% yield) pays a dividend. BRN does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is BRN or CRC better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, California Resources Corporation (CRC) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.26), 2.4% yield, +1037% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (CRC: +1037%, BRN: -6.5%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
07What are the main differences between BRN and CRC?
Both stocks operate in the Energy sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: BRN is a small-cap quality compounder stock; CRC is a mega-cap deep-value stock. CRC pays a dividend while BRN does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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