Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $301.38M
• Dividend Yield: N/A
• Average Volume (3M): 468.66K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): ―
• Beta (1Y): 2.36
• Revenue Growth: 1.38%
• EPS Growth: 63.65%
• Country: US
• Employees: 2,520
• Sector: Consumer Cyclical
• Sector Strength: 84
• Industry: Specialty Retail
• EPS (TTM): -2.50
• Shares Outstanding: 34,053,850
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 289,031
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 468,658
• PEG Ratio: 0.05
• Price to Book (P/B): 1.00
• Price to Sales (P/S): 0.17
• P/FCF Ratio: -2.77
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 2.08
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 0.39
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 1.86
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: -101.37
• 1Y Price Target: N/A
• Price Target Upside: N/A
• Rating Consensus: N/A
• Number of Analyst Covering: 0
• EPS Forecast (FY): N/A
• Revenue Forecast (FY): N/A

• Rating: 49 Neutral
• Price Target: $9.50 ▲(9.07% Upside)

The score is held down primarily by weak financial performance—continued net losses and a sharp 2025 cash burn outweigh balance-sheet improvement. Technicals provide partial support with price trading above key moving averages and positive MACD, while valuation signals are constrained by a loss-driven negative P/E and no dividend yield.

Positive Factors

Revenue Growth

Despite financial challenges, the company shows modest revenue growth, indicating potential for market expansion and product adoption.

Equity Improvements

Improvement in stockholders' equity suggests better financial health and potential for increased investor confidence in the long term.

Digital Solutions Potential

The Digital Student Solutions segment offers growth potential through digital learning tools, aligning with increasing demand for online education.

Negative Factors

High Leverage

High leverage poses a risk to financial stability, limiting flexibility and increasing vulnerability to economic downturns.

Profitability Challenges

Ongoing profitability issues hinder the company's ability to reinvest in growth and improve shareholder value, impacting long-term viability.

Cash Flow Issues

Negative cash flow indicates liquidity challenges, necessitating external financing and potentially affecting operational sustainability.

Barnes & Noble Education Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. operates bookstores for college and university campuses, and K-12 institutions in the United States. It operates through three segments: Retail, Wholesale, and Digital Student Solutions. The company sells and rents new and used print textbooks, digital textbooks, and publisher hosted digital courseware through physical and virtual bookstores, as well as directly to students through Textbooks.com. It also offers First Day and First Day Complete access programs; BNC OER+, a turnkey solution for colleges and universities, that offers digital content, such as videos, activities, and auto-graded practice assessments; and general merchandise, including collegiate and athletic apparel, school spirit products, lifestyle products, technology products, supplies, graduation products, and convenience items. In addition, the company sources, sells, and distributes new and used textbooks; and sells hardware and a software suite of applications that provides inventory management and point-of-sale solutions to approximately 350 college bookstores. Further, it offers direct-to-student subscription-based writing services; and bartleby, a direct-to-student subscription-based offering that includes textbook solutions, expert questions and answers, and writing and tutoring services. The company operates 805 physical college and university bookstores; 622 virtual bookstores; 8 True Spirit e-commerce websites; pop-up retail locations; 73 customized cafés and 11 stand-alone convenience stores; and a media channel for brands targeting the college demographic. Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey.

How the Company Makes Money

Barnes & Noble Education generates revenue through various streams. The Retail segment, which includes the operation of campus bookstores, is a significant revenue driver, providing both physical and digital educational materials to students and faculty. BNED also earns from its Wholesale segment, which involves the distribution of textbooks to a variety of customers. Additionally, the Digital Student Solutions segment contributes to the company's earnings by offering digital learning solutions and tools that support online education. Key partnerships with educational institutions and technology providers help expand BNED's market reach and enhance its revenue potential.

Barnes & Noble Education Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Barnes & Noble Education faces significant financial headwinds, with persistent losses and high leverage. While there are signs of slight improvements in some metrics, such as revenue growth and equity improvements, profitability and cash flow remain major areas of concern. The company's financial stability is under pressure, demanding strategic actions to enhance operational efficiency and financial structure.

Income Statement

The income statement reveals substantial challenges with profitability, indicated by negative EBIT and net income over recent periods. Despite slight revenue growth in some periods, the company has struggled to achieve positive profit margins. The TTM data shows a slight improvement in EBIT margin, but overall profitability remains a concern.

Balance Sheet

The balance sheet reflects a high level of debt relative to equity, resulting in a concerning debt-to-equity ratio. Although stockholders' equity has improved in the latest TTM, it still poses financial stability risks. The equity ratio indicates a moderate level of equity financing, but leverage remains a critical issue.

Cash Flow

Cash flow analysis highlights negative operating and free cash flow, indicating liquidity challenges. The free cash flow to net income ratio is weak, and the company has not consistently generated positive free cash flow, which is crucial for sustaining operations without external financing.

Breakdown	TTM	Dec 2025	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue	1.61B	1.61B	1.57B	1.54B	1.50B	1.41B
Gross Profit	337.80M	337.80M	356.78M	349.44M	342.83M	230.34M
EBITDA	-6.18M	-6.18M	18.63M	-24.26M	-18.11M	-88.69M
Net Income	-65.83M	-65.83M	-63.21M	-101.86M	-68.86M	-131.79M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	790.28M	790.28M	905.08M	980.78M	1.07B	1.04B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	9.06M	9.06M	10.46M	14.22M	10.39M	8.02M
Total Debt	283.12M	180.02M	440.74M	466.88M	542.44M	454.89M
Total Liabilities	518.10M	518.10M	834.50M	850.03M	843.18M	737.38M
Stockholders Equity	272.19M	272.19M	70.58M	130.75M	228.37M	301.03M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	-98.31M	-98.31M	-19.19M	66.58M	-41.47M	-4.34M
Operating Cash Flow	-85.41M	-85.41M	-5.12M	91.67M	1.16M	32.88M
Investing Cash Flow	-12.10M	-12.10M	7.40M	-31.04M	-42.66M	-36.88M
Financing Cash Flow	97.67M	97.67M	-5.70M	-49.67M	45.72M	11.80M

Barnes & Noble Education Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 8.71
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Negative
• MACD: Positive
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For BNED, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 8.71 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 8.82, above the 50-day MA of 8.49, and below the 200-day MA of 9.55, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.03 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 52.04 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 62.92 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for BNED.

Barnes & Noble Education Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
LQDT	72 Outperform	$969.75M	36.70	14.56%	―	31.20%	38.38%
Sector *	61 Neutral	$18.38B	12.79	-2.54%	3.03%	1.52%	-15.83%
LE	53 Neutral	$457.96M	42.73	5.17%	―	-8.47%	―
FLWS	51 Neutral	$283.32M	-1.35	-67.22%	―	-8.07%	-2206.16%
BNED	49 Neutral	$301.38M	-1.50	―	―	1.38%	63.65%
CHPT	48 Neutral	$168.65M	-0.66	-219.20%	―	-6.32%	28.82%
BBBY	45 Neutral	$469.55M	-2.56	-72.72%	―	-27.23%	62.19%

Barnes & Noble Education Corporate Events

Barnes & Noble Education Concludes Financial Investigation

Barnes & Noble Education‘s Audit Committee concluded an investigation into improper financial reporting practices by a former employee, who made unsupported journal entries to reduce the cost of sales for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The investigation found no evidence of financial gain by the employee, and the company also addressed revenue recognition issues for the third fiscal quarter of 2025, which were corrected in the fourth quarter.