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Barnes & Noble EducationBNED +0.59%51 Debt-to-Equity is 0.76 as of Apr. 2026, which is 28% below its 10-year median of 1.06. GuruFocus rates BNED with a GF Score™ of 51/100 and a GF Value™ of $2.40 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,020 Retail - Cyclical companies, Barnes & Noble Education ranks worse than 59.22% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for Barnes & Noble Education's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
BNED'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.22 Med: 1.06 Max: 5.15
Current: 0.76
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Barnes & Noble Education was 5.15. The lowest was 0.22. And the median was 1.06.
BNED's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 59.22% of 1020
companies
in the Retail - Cyclical industry
Industry Median: 0.56
vs BNED: 0.76
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
Barnes & Noble Education Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Barnes & Noble Education Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
BNED vs BBW, FLWS, ONEW: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Specialty Retail subindustry, Barnes & Noble Education's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Barnes & Noble Education Debt-to-Equity vs Retail - Cyclical Industry
For the Retail - Cyclical industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, Barnes & Noble Education's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Barnes & Noble Education's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.76 as of Apr. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Barnes & Noble Education and its competitors. This is 28% below median its historical median of 1.06. Over the past decade, Barnes & Noble Education's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.22 to 5.15. According to the industry distribution chart, Barnes & Noble Education ranks #604 out of 1020 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry, placing it in the top 59.2%.
Is Barnes & Noble Education's Debt-to-Equity too high?
Barnes & Noble Education's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.76 is 28% below median its 10-year median of 1.06. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.22 to a high of 5.15. The Retail - Cyclical industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.56. Barnes & Noble Education's value of 0.76 is 35.7% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Barnes & Noble Education ranks #604 out of 1020 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Barnes & Noble Education has a GF Score™ of 51/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Barnes & Noble Education's Debt-to-Equity compare to BBW and FLWS?
According to the Retail - Cyclical industry distribution chart, Barnes & Noble Education ranks #604 out of 1020 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Barnes & Noble Education in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.56. Barnes & Noble Education's value of 0.76 is 35.7% above this benchmark. Historically, Barnes & Noble Education's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.22 to 5.15 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 1.06 vs. the industry median of 0.56, Barnes & Noble Education has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for a Retail - Cyclical company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Retail - Cyclical companies is 0.56, based on 1,020 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Barnes & Noble Education's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.76 is 35.7% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Barnes & Noble Education and its competitors. For the Retail - Cyclical industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.56 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Barnes & Noble Education's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.76, which is 28% below median its own 10-year median of 1.06. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Barnes & Noble Education stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $2.40, compared to a current price of $12.03 — trading 401.3% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.76, which is 28% below median its 10-year median of 1.06 and 35.7% above the Retail - Cyclical industry median of 0.56. Barnes & Noble Education's overall GF Score™ is 51/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Barnes & Noble Education (BNED), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.76 as of Apr. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Barnes & Noble Education stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $12.03 is trading 401.3% above its estimated GF Value™ of $2.40.
GuruFocus considers Barnes & Noble Education to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for BNED:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.76 (28% below median its 10-year median of 1.06)
GF Value™: $2.40 vs. price of $12.03 (401.3% above fair value)
Industry Position: 35.7% above the Retail - Cyclical median (#604 of 1020)
No single metric tells the full story. See the BNED stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Barnes & Noble Education Inc is a contract operator of physical and virtual bookstores for college and university campuses and K-12 institutions across the United States. The company is also a textbook wholesaler and inventory management hardware and software provider. It offers course materials through physical and online bookstores, including new and used print textbooks, rental options, digital textbooks, and publisher-hosted digital courseware. Products are also offered directly to students through Textbooks.com. The majority of the company's revenue is derived from the sale of products through its bookstore locations, including virtual bookstores, and the bookstore affiliated e-commerce websites.
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