Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) Stock Fundamentals, Analysis & Risk Signals

Health score, price, valuation, risk signals, and key metrics at a glance.

Barnes & Noble Education

NYSE•Consumer Cyclical•Specialty Retail

$12.72+0.52(0.04%)Market closed

Market Cap

$367.07M

P/E

16.5x

P/S

0.2x

P/B

1.3x

Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. operates bookstores for college and university campuses, and K-12 institutions primarily in the United States. The company engages in the sale and rental of course materials, including new and used print textbooks, digital textbooks, and publisher-hosted digital courseware through its physical and virtual bookstores. It also provides BNC FIRST DAY affordable access course material programs comprising First Day and First Day Complete, which provide faculty-required course materials on or before the first day of class at below-market rates; and general merchandise, including collegiate and athletic apparel, custom-branded school spirit products, lifestyle and wellness products, technology products, supplies, graduation products, and convenience items. In addition, the company sells hardware and a software suite of applications that provide inventory management and point-of-sale solutions to college bookstores. Further, it offers brand marketing programs; on-site installation for point-of-sale terminals and servers; and technical assistance through user training and its support center facility. The company operates physical college and university bookstores; virtual bookstores; True Spirit apparel and spirit shop e-commerce websites; pop-up retail locations; customized cafés and stand-alone convenience stores; and a media channel for brands targeting the college demographic. It serves public, state, private, community college, trade and technical, for-profit, and online education institutions. Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey.

How this company scores

GoodMetricSide Score: 64/100

Strongest: Cash & Earnings Quality (19/25); weakest: Profitability (9/25).

Profitability9/25

Growth18/25

Balance Sheet & Red Flags18/25

Cash & Earnings Quality19/25

Strengths

Rising earningsLow leverageCash-backed earningsImproving leverage

Valuation vs. 5-year range

Today's multiple positioned against its own trailing range — a visual premium/discount check.

P/E · 16.5x5y range 16.5x – 21.2x

P/S · 0.2x5y range 0.0x – 1.8x

Currently near its 20-quarter median.

P/B · 1.3x5y range 0.8x – 9.6x

Watch items

Data-driven signals worth keeping an eye on across the last 8 quarters

High Risk

Margin Pressure

Red Flag

Operating margins dropped 70.6% over recent quarters — a sharp decline suggesting serious cost or pricing challenges.

Earnings Quality

Red Flag

Free cash flow has been negative in 4 of the last 8 quarters — earnings are not translating to cash.

Price & Volume

Market Cap $367.07M

Metrics at a Glance

as of August 2026

Revenue & Profit

Revenue, EBITDA, operating income, net income, EPS, and shares

TTM Revenue: $1.72B
Q. Revenue: $290.60M
TTM EBITDA: $74.17M
TTM Op. Income: $42.45M
Q. Op. Income: $-17.26M
TTM Net Income: $22.23M
Q. Net Income: $-12.91M
EPS: $-0.37
Shares Out.: $34.53M

$1.72B in TTM revenue grew 5.0% YoY, reaching $290.60M last quarter. TTM EBITDA of $74.17M and TTM operating income of $42.45M show growth is flowing through to the bottom line. TTM net income of $22.23M means revenue is converting into profit. Over the past year, TTM revenue is up 5% — an improving trend.

Margins

Gross, EBITDA, operating, and net margin trends

Gross Margin: 19.6%
EBITDA Margin: -3.1%
Op. Margin: -5.9%
Net Margin: -4.4%

Op. margin of -5.9% is up 2.1% YoY — cost efficiency is improving. Net margin at -4.4% and gross margin of 19.6% show how much of each revenue dollar survives to profit. Across the last 8 quarters, operating margin has fallen for 3 consecutive quarters — a weakening trend.

Price Ratios

P/E, P/S, P/B, EV/EBITDA, FCF yield, and earnings yield

P/E Ratio: 16.5x
P/S Ratio: 0.2x
P/B Ratio: 1.3x

At 16.5x P/E, the stock trades within typical market levels. P/S of 0.2x and P/B of 1.3x provide additional context. Use the growth and margin sections to judge whether the multiple is justified. Over the past year, P/E is up 0% — an improving trend.

Assets & Liabilities

Total assets, cash, debt, book value, and leverage

Total Assets: $846.73M
Cash: $7.81M
Long-Term Debt: $123.50M
Book Value: $278.37M
D/E Ratio: 0.4
Debt/EBITDA: N/A

With $846.73M in assets and $123.50M in long-term debt, D/E is 0.4and book value is $278.37M — a conservative capital structure with a cushion to weather downturns. Over the past year, debt/equity is down 33% — a weakening trend.

Cash Flow

Operating cash flow, free cash flow, FCF margin, and earnings quality

Op. Cash Flow: $-52.87M
TTM Free Cash Flow: $48.80M
FCF Margin: 2.8%
FCF / Net Income: 2.2

TTM FCF of $48.80M on $-52.87M in operating cash flow. The FCF / Net Income ratio of 2.2x means free cash flow covers net income — earnings are backed by cash. Across the last 8 quarters, free cash flow has risen for 5 consecutive quarters — an improving trend.