Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.
Barnes & Noble Education has the Profitability Rank of 4.
GuruFocus Profitability Rank ranks how profitable a company is and how likely the company's business will stay that way. It is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 and is based on these factors:
1. Operating Margin %
2. Piotroski F-Score
3. Trend of the Operating Margin % (5-year average). The company with an uptrend profit margin has a higher rank.
4. Consistency of the profitability
5. Predictability Rank
A higher score indicates superior profitability, with companies rated 7 or above considered to have more robust and sustainable profit generation. Conversely, a score of 3 or lower suggests challenges in generating consistent profits.
Barnes & Noble Education Profitability Rank Related Terms
BNED vs BBW, FLWS, ONEW: Profitability Rank Comparison
For the Specialty Retail subindustry, Barnes & Noble Education's Profitability Rank, along with its competitors' market caps and Profitability Rank 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 Profitability Rank vs Retail - Cyclical Industry
For the Retail - Cyclical industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, Barnes & Noble Education's Profitability Rank distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Barnes & Noble Education's Profitability Rank falls into.
GuruFocus Profitability Rank ranks how profitable a company is and how likely the company's business will stay that way.
The rank is rated on a scale of 1 to 10. A higher score indicates superior profitability, with companies rated 7 or above considered to have more robust and sustainable profit generation. Conversely, a score of 3 or lower suggests challenges in generating consistent profits.
Barnes & Noble Education has the Profitability Rank of 4.
Profitability Rank is not directly related to the Financial Strength. But if a company is consistently profitable, its financial strength will be stronger.
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.
* 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 Profitability Rank of 4 as of Apr. 2026. Profitability and Growth ranks a company based on its profit margins and earnings growth. View historical data on Barnes & Noble Education and its competitors. This is 20% below median its historical median of 5.00. Over the past decade, Barnes & Noble Education's Profitability Rank has ranged from 3.00 to 6.00.
Is Barnes & Noble Education's Profitability Rank too high?
Barnes & Noble Education's current Profitability Rank of 4 is 20% below median its 10-year median of 5.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.00 to a high of 6.00. 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 Profitability Rank compare to BBW and FLWS?
Barnes & Noble Education's Profitability Rank of 4 can be compared against companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry. Historically, Barnes & Noble Education's own Profitability Rank has ranged from 3.00 to 6.00 over the past decade. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Profitability Rank for a Retail - Cyclical company?
A good Profitability Rank depends on the Retail - Cyclical industry context. However, Profitability Rank 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 Profitability Rank mean?
A high Profitability Rank can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Profitability and Growth ranks a company based on its profit margins and earnings growth. View historical data on Barnes & Noble Education and its competitors. Barnes & Noble Education's current Profitability Rank is 4, which is 20% below median its own 10-year median of 5.00. 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 $11.98 — trading 399.2% above its estimated fair value. The current Profitability Rank is 4, which is 20% below median its 10-year median of 5.00. 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 Profitability Rank calculated?
Profitability Rank is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Barnes & Noble Education (BNED), the current Profitability Rank is 4 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 $11.98 is trading 399.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of $2.40.
GuruFocus considers Barnes & Noble Education to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for BNED:
Profitability Rank: 4 (20% below median its 10-year median of 5.00)
GF Value™: $2.40 vs. price of $11.98 (399.2% above fair value)
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.
51GF Score
Get the complete analysis for BNED
Profitability Rank is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
Quick Browse
Personalize
Premium Gurus 
Create New Portfolio
BNED has been successfully added to your 
