# Barnes & Noble Education Inc (BNED) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NYSE, United States. Sector: Consumer Cyclical / Specialty Retail. Price $12.72, market value $441 million.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 26.0×** (5-yr avg 20.8×, 3-yr avg 20.8×). Barnes & Noble Education Inc trades at 26.0× trailing earnings, well above its own five-year average of 20.8×: investors are paying up relative to the company's past. The Consumer Cyclical median in the September 2026 study was 19.5×. Forward P/E is 12.6×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **PEG: 0.11**. A PEG of 0.11 means the P/E is low relative to expected earnings growth: the market is not paying much for that growth.
- **Price / sales: 0.3×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 0.3×, a low multiple typical of thin-margin businesses or out-of-favour stocks.
- **Price / book: 1.5×**. The shares trade at 1.5× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 7.3×**. Enterprise value is 7.3× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed; below 8× is inexpensive for most sectors.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 7.7%** (5-yr avg -10.2%). Free cash flow equals 7.7% of the market value, above its five-year average of -10.2%, so the shares are cheaper on cash than they have usually been. Above 5% is generally attractive.
- **Earnings yield: 3.9%**. The inverse of the P/E: 3.9% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Gross margin: 23.4%**. Barnes & Noble Education Inc keeps 23.4% of revenue after the direct cost of what it sells, a thin margin typical of retail, distribution and commodity businesses.
- **Operating margin: 2.3%**. 2.3% of revenue is left after running the business, which leaves little cushion in a downturn.
- **Net margin: 1.1%**. 1.1% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 5.7%**. 5.7% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 8.1%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 8.1%.
- **Return on assets: 2.3%**. Each dollar of assets produces 2.3% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 6.9%** (3-yr 0.5%/yr, 5-yr 2.2%/yr). Revenue grew 6.9% over the last year, against 2.2% a year compounded over five years: growth is accelerating.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 119.6%**. Earnings per share rose 119.6%, faster than revenue, so margins expanded or the share count shrank.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): -20.2%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at -20.2% a year over three years.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.24**. Debt is 0.24 times equity: a conservative balance sheet.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 0.9×**. It would take 0.9 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, within the comfortable range.
- **Altman Z-score: 3.43**. A Z-score of 3.43 places the company in the safe zone for bankruptcy risk.
- **Piotroski F-score: 7/9**. 7 of 9 fundamental checks pass: strong and improving financials.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 2.52%** ($0.32 per share, trailing). Barnes & Noble Education Inc yields 2.52%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: strong_buy** (2 analysts). 2 analysts cover Barnes & Noble Education Inc; the consensus is strong_buy, with an average price target of $17.25 (+36% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 52.2%** (YTD 39.3%, 3-mo 23.4%). The shares are up 52.2% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -13.8%** (115.6% above the low). Trading 14% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 58**. An RSI of 58 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 1.61** (volatility 66%). Beta of 1.61 against the S&P 500: the shares move much more than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=BNED · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/bned

Not investment advice.