Oi SA Stock Downgraded (OIBR)

Editor's Note: TheStreet ratings do not represent the views of TheStreet's staff or its contributors. Ratings are established by computer based on metrics for performance (which includes growth, stock performance, efficiency and valuation) and risk (volatility and solvency). Companies with poor cash flow or high debt levels tend to earn lower ratings in our model

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Oi (NYSE:OIBR) has been downgraded by TheStreet Ratings from hold to sell. The company's weaknesses can be seen in multiple areas, such as its feeble growth in its earnings per share, deteriorating net income, generally high debt management risk and generally disappointing historical performance in the stock itself.

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Highlights from the ratings report include:

• OI SA has exprienced a steep decline in earnings per share in the most recent quarter in comparison to its performance from the same quarter a year ago. Earnings per share have declined over the last year. We anticipate that this should continue in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, OI SA reported lower earnings of $0.92 versus $2.01 in the prior year. For the next year, the market is expecting a contraction of 83.1% in earnings ($0.16 versus $0.92).
• The company, on the basis of change in net income from the same quarter one year ago, has significantly underperformed when compared to that of the S&P 500 and the Diversified Telecommunication Services industry. The net income has significantly decreased by 95.6% when compared to the same quarter one year ago, falling from $299.50 million to $13.17 million.
• Currently the debt-to-equity ratio of 1.55 is quite high overall and when compared to the industry average, suggesting that the current management of debt levels should be re-evaluated. Even though the debt-to-equity ratio is weak, OIBR's quick ratio is somewhat strong at 1.01, demonstrating the ability to handle short-term liquidity needs.
• Despite any intermediate fluctuations, we have only bad news to report on this stock's performance over the last year: it has tumbled by 42.48%, worse than the S&P 500's performance. Consistent with the plunge in the stock price, the company's earnings per share are down 98.03% compared to the year-earlier quarter. Naturally, the overall market trend is bound to be a significant factor. However, in one sense, the stock's sharp decline last year is a positive for future investors, making it cheaper (in proportion to its earnings over the past year) than most other stocks in its industry. But due to other concerns, we feel the stock is still not a good buy right now.
• 42.20% is the gross profit margin for OI SA which we consider to be strong. Despite the high profit margin, it has decreased significantly from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, the net profit margin of 0.40% trails the industry average.

Oi S.A., through its subsidiaries, provides integrated telecommunication service for residential customers, companies, and governmental agencies in Brazil. Oi has a market cap of $9.9 billion and is part of the technology sector and telecommunications industry. Shares are down 23.8% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday.

You can view the full Oi Ratings Report or get investment ideas from our investment research center.

-- Written by a member of TheStreet Ratings Staff

For more information on Oi SA click any of the following:

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• Oi SA Income Statement