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Upturn AI Summary - About
Barnes & Noble Education Inc(BNED)
Advisory History & Simulated Performance *
*as per simulation (see disclosures)- ALL
- 1Y
- 1M
- 1W
- BUY Advisory
- SELL Advisory (Profit)
- SELL Advisory (Loss)
- Profit
- Loss
- PASS (Skip)
Stock price based on last close Advisory Performance History (Simulated)
Upturn Advisory & Investor View for BNED
09/25/2026: BNED (1-star) is currently NOT-A-BUY. Pass it for now.
Barnes & Noble Education Inc is an education services company that manages campus bookstores and provides digital study tools like the Bartleby platform. Its main strength lies in its extensive network of university partnerships, which provides a foundational presence on campuses. The primary growth opportunity involves shifting its business from declining physical textbook sales toward recurring revenue through its digital subscription tools. However, the company faces significant risks, including high financial leverage and intense competition from digital-native platforms. It currently suits speculative investors who can tolerate volatility and are monitoring the company's ability to successfully execute its digital-first turnaround strategy while managing its debt load.
How to Read the Upturn Advisory
The Upturn Star Rating and the current BUY, SELL, or PASS advisory are generated by Upturn’s AI advisory engine based on proprietary signal analysis, price behavior, advisory history, and historical signal performance.
Company fundamentals, valuation, risks, and news provide supporting context about the business.
Investor Fit
| Investor style | Fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth investor | Weak fit | The company is currently in a defensive turnaround phase rather than an aggressive growth expansion. |
| Momentum investor | Weak fit | Technical indicators have historically been weak, and this style is conditional on a sustained, positive price upturn. |
| Value investor | Mixed fit | While valuations appear depressed, the company's underlying business quality and debt profile require careful scrutiny. |
| Dividend investor | Weak fit | The company does not currently pay dividends and is focused on preserving cash for operations. |
| Low-risk investor | Weak fit | High financial leverage and significant secular industry headwinds make this a high-risk investment. |
Risk Profile
| Risk factor | Level | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Price volatility | High | The stock is susceptible to large swings based on enrollment data and quarterly earnings surprises. |
| Valuation risk | Medium / high | Uncertainty regarding future earnings makes fair valuation models difficult to stabilize. |
| Competition risk (Digital/Ecommerce) | High | Direct competition from digital platforms and Amazon undermines traditional bookstore pricing power. |
| Business quality | Medium | The company provides essential services but faces a secular decline in its primary revenue driver. |
| Dividend income | Low / none | Capital is directed toward debt reduction rather than shareholder distributions. |
| Execution risk | High | Successfully pivoting the business model to digital remains a difficult operational challenge. |
Price Behavior
Rolling Over
The price momentum is slowing down and beginning to turn downward.
Choppy
The stock has experienced frequent reversals and pronounced short-term price swings.
Analysis of Past Performance
Type Stock | Historic Profit -54.95% | Avg. Invested days 26 | Today’s Advisory PASS |
Upturn Advisory Rating  | Upturn Advisory Performance  2.0 | Stock Returns Performance  1.0 |
| Profits based on simulation | Last Close 09/25/2026 |
Upturn Scorecard
Upturn Star Rating 
Company Fundamentals
Financial Health Rating
Growth Momentum Score
Ownership
Top 5 Institutional Investors
Unit Economics (Per $1K Revenue)
Economic Dimensions
Quantitative Style Profile
Style Classification
Quality Focused
Key Highlights
Company Size Small-Cap Stock | Market Capitalization 385.82M USD | Price to earnings Ratio 16.86 | 1Y Target Price 17.25 |
Price to earnings Ratio 16.86 | 1Y Target Price 17.25 | ||
Volume (30-day avg) 273.2K shares | Beta 1.3 | 52 Weeks Range 5.86 - 14.66 | Updated Date 09/25/2026 |
52 Weeks Range 5.86 - 14.66 | Updated Date 09/25/2026 | ||
Dividends yield (FY) 0.71% | Basic EPS (TTM) 0.66 |
How Company Makes Money
| Business area | What it includes | Retail investor read |
|---|---|---|
| Retail (Bookstores) | Physical/virtual store sales of textbooks and supplies. | This is the core, high-volume segment that currently provides the bulk of revenue. |
| Digital Student Solutions | Bartleby subscription services. | This is the growth area meant to replace declining book sales with recurring revenue. |
| Wholesale | Distribution of physical books to various retailers. | A lower-margin support segment for the physical book industry. |
Analyzing Revenue: Products, Geography and Growth
Revenue by Products
Product revenue - Year on Year
Valuation
Trailing PE 16.86 | Forward PE 10.63 | Enterprise Value 654.00M | Price to Sales(TTM) 0.22 |
Enterprise Value 654.00M | Price to Sales(TTM) 0.22 | ||
Enterprise Value to Revenue 0.38 | Enterprise Value to EBITDA 9.26 | Shares Outstanding 34.66M | Shares Floating 17.61M |
Shares Outstanding 34.66M | Shares Floating 17.61M | ||
Percent Insiders 9.91 | Percent Institutions 92.39 |
Upturn AI Summary
AI Summarization is directionally correct and might not be accurate.
Summarized information shown could be a few years old and not current.
Fundamental Rating based on AI could be based on old data.
AI-generated summaries may have inaccuracies (hallucinations). Please verify the information before taking action.
Financial Metrics
🧭 Investment Snapshot
Total Revenue (Scale)
Total money earned from selling products or services before any costs. It is needed to understand the scale of the business and its ability to generate income.
Net Income (Profit)
Final profit after all expenses, interest, and taxes are deducted. It is needed to determine the overall profitability available to shareholders.
Free Cash Flow (Cash Strength)
Cash remaining after operating activities and capital expenditures, showing cash available for growth. It is needed to evaluate the company’s ability to invest, pay dividends, or reduce debt.
📈 Growth & Strength
Operating Income (Core Profit)
Profit from core operations after deducting all operating expenses. It is needed to measure how efficiently the company runs its primary business activities.
EBITDA (Cash Earnings)
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, indicating operating cash potential. It is needed to compare operating performance across companies without accounting or financing differences.
Gross Profit (Unit Profitability)
Revenue minus cost of revenue, showing profit after direct production costs. It is needed to evaluate core business profitability before overhead expenses.
🛡️ Financial Safety
Cash (Liquidity Buffer)
Total cash and cash equivalents on hand. It is needed to evaluate immediate liquidity and financial flexibility.
Total Debt (Leverage Risk)
Total debt including both short-term and long-term components. It is needed to assess the company’s leverage and financial risk.
Net Working Capital (Short-Term Health)
Current assets minus current liabilities, indicating short-term liquidity strength. It is needed to assess whether the company can meet its short-term obligations.
🧱 Balance Sheet Strength
Stockholder Equity (Net Worth)
Total equity value held by shareholders. It is needed to understand the net worth of the company from the owners’ perspective.
Total Assets (Asset Base)
The full value of everything the company owns, including cash, inventory, equipment, and investments. It is needed to understand the resource base used to generate revenue.
Income Before Tax (Pre-Tax Earnings)
Income before provision for income taxes. It is needed to analyze profitability independent of tax structures.
⚙️ Cost & Drag Factors
Cost of Revenue (Production Cost)
Direct costs required to produce and deliver the products or services sold. It is needed to assess efficiency in production and service delivery.
Total Operating Expenses (Operating Cost)
Indirect costs of running the business such as salaries, marketing, and administration. It is needed to understand how much it costs to sustain ongoing business operations.
Income Tax Expense (Tax Drag)
Amount of taxes paid or payable to the government. It is needed to evaluate the impact of taxation on overall profitability.
About Barnes & Noble Education Inc
Exchange NYSE | Headquarters Florham Park, NJ, United States | ||
IPO Launch date 2015-08-03 | CEO - | ||
Sector Consumer Cyclical | Industry Specialty Retail | Full time employees 2365 | Website https://www.bned.com |
Full time employees 2365 | Website https://www.bned.com | ||
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.
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