Educational Development (NAS:EDUC) Operating Margin % Explanation
Just like Gross Margin %, it is important to see a company maintains its operating margin over time. Among the same industry, a company with higher operating margin is more efficient in its operation. It is also more stable during industry slowdown or recessions. Peter Lynch prefers those with higher margins than those with lower margins.
Be Aware
Operating Margin % can be manipulated by adjusting the rate of depreciation, depletion and amortization (DDA).
If a company is facing competition, its Operating Margin % may decline. Often the Operating Margin % declines well before the company's Revenue or even profit decline. Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important indicator of whether the company is facing problems.
For instance, by 2012, Nokia (NOK)'s problems were well known and its stock had lost more than 90% of its market value since 2007. But Nokias Operating Margin % had already been in decline since 2002, although its Earnings per Share (Diluted) were still rising. Investors who paid attention to Operating Margin % would have avoided this huge loss. The same can be said for Research-in-Motion (RIMM).
Therefore, Operating Margin % is a very important screening filter for GuruFocus. GuruFocus's Buffett-Munger screener requires that the profit margin is either consistent or expanding. The Model Portfolio of the Buffett-Munger screener has outperformed the market every year since inception in 2009.
Educational Development Operating Margin % Related Terms
Educational Development Operating Margin % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Educational Development's Operating Margin % can be seen below:
* 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.
EDUC vs TNMG, NYT, WLY: Operating Margin % Comparison
For the Publishing subindustry, Educational Development's Operating Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Operating Margin % 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.
Educational Development Operating Margin % vs Media - Diversified Industry
For the Media - Diversified industry and Communication Services sector, Educational Development's Operating Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Educational Development's Operating Margin % falls into.
Educational Development Operating Margin % Calculation
Operating Margin % - also known as operating income margin, operating profit margin and return on sales (ROS) - is the ratio of Operating Income divided by net sales or Revenue, usually presented in percent.
Educational Development's Operating Margin % for the fiscal year that ended in Feb. 2026 is calculated as
* 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.
Educational Development (EDUC) has a Operating Margin % of -54.91% as of Feb. 2026. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Educational Development and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Educational Development ranks #873 out of 1023 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, placing it in the top 85.3%.
Is Educational Development's Operating Margin % too high?
Educational Development's current Operating Margin % is -54.91%. Based on the distribution chart, Educational Development ranks #873 out of 1023 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Educational Development has a GF Score™ of 44/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Educational Development's Operating Margin % compare to TNMG and NYT?
According to the Media - Diversified industry distribution chart, Educational Development ranks #873 out of 1023 companies for Operating Margin %. This places Educational Development in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Operating Margin % is 2.51. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Operating Margin % for a Media - Diversified company?
The median Operating Margin % among Media - Diversified companies is 2.51, based on 1,023 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Operating Margin % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Operating Margin % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Operating Margin % mean?
A high Operating Margin % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Operating margin is the ratio of total operating income to net sales. View historical data on Educational Development and its competitors. For the Media - Diversified industry, the median Operating Margin % is 2.51 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Educational Development's current Operating Margin % is -54.91%. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Educational Development stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Educational Development (EDUC) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $0.82, compared to a current price of $1.55 — trading 88.4% above its estimated fair value. The current Operating Margin % is -54.91%. Educational Development's overall GF Score™ is 44/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Operating Margin % calculated?
Operating Margin % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Educational Development (EDUC), the current Operating Margin % is -54.91% as of Feb. 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 Educational Development (EDUC) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Educational Development stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $1.55 is trading 88.4% above its estimated GF Value™ of $0.82.
GuruFocus considers Educational Development to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for EDUC:
Operating Margin %: -54.91%
GF Value™: $0.82 vs. price of $1.55 (88.4% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the EDUC stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Educational Development Corp distributes books and educational products and publications through its PaperPie and EDC Publishing divisions to individual consumers, book, toy and gift stores, libraries and home educators located throughout the United States. The company is the owner and exclusive publisher of Kane Miller children's books; Learning Wrap-Ups, maker of educational manipulatives; and SmartLab Toys, maker of STEAM-based toys and games. It also the exclusive United States Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) distributor of Usborne Publishing Limited (Usborne) children's books. It sell children's books, educational toys and games and other related products. It has two reportable segments: PaperPie and Publishing of which majority of revenue comes from Paperpie.
44GF Score
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Operating Margin % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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