Barnes & Noble Education Inc. (BNED) Quality Score
Growth is the primary weakness (avg 25/100). Valuation is the relative bright spot.
Broad-market heuristics · Not a buy/sell signal
Valuation and growth
Valuation
Growth
20–25x range, moderate premium
Under 20x cash flow, well covered
2–5% CAGR, growing but slowly
Below 2%, essentially flat
Business Quality & Capital Allocation
Heavy dilution above 5%
Expanded 3+pp, strong improvement
Net debt/FCF of 5.4x, high leverage
Below 8%, may not cover cost of capital
Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) quality: score, margins and returns
Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) scores 46/100 on Intrinsiqq's quality score (a mixed business), a weighted blend of 8 metrics each scored 0 to 100, on 2.5% operating margins and 6.5% ROIC. Every metric is computed from SEC filings; this is analysis, not investment advice.
Frequently asked
Is Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) a high-quality business?+
Barnes & Noble Education scores 46 out of 100 on Intrinsiqq's quality score, a weighted blend of 8 metrics each scored 0 to 100, which rates it a mixed business on these measures. Recent figures include a 2.5% operating margin and a 6.5% return on invested capital. Quality and price are separate questions: even a great business can be a poor investment if you overpay, so read this score alongside the valuation. The metric-by-metric breakdown is on this scorecard.
What does Barnes & Noble Education's quality score measure?+
Intrinsiqq's quality score weighs revenue and free-cash-flow growth, operating margins, return on invested capital, change in share count, and balance-sheet strength, each computed from BNED's SEC filings rather than opinion or sentiment. A higher score means a more durable, capital-efficient business; it is not a buy or sell signal. Open each metric on this page to see exactly where Barnes & Noble Education scores well and where it falls behind.
What is Barnes & Noble Education's return on invested capital (ROIC)?+
Barnes & Noble Education earns about 6.5% on its invested capital, which is modest. ROIC measures how much profit a company generates per dollar put to work; sustained ROIC above its cost of capital is one of the clearest signs of a real competitive moat. Compare it to BNED's margins and growth on this scorecard to judge durability.
How profitable is Barnes & Noble Education?+
Barnes & Noble Education runs an operating margin of about 2.5% and a net margin of about 1.3%. Revenue has grown at roughly 4.0% a year recently. High, stable margins usually point to pricing power and operating discipline. Margins are most telling next to growth and returns on capital, all of which feed this quality score. This is analysis from SEC filings, not investment advice.
SourceQuality score computed from the 10-Q filed 3 Sept 2026, covering the period ending 1 Aug 2026, as reported to the SEC. Data last refreshed 28 Sept 2026. How this is calculated.
Fiscal year ends May. Sector medians are approximate S&P 500 benchmarks and update periodically. Checks use broad-market heuristics, so sector norms may differ, and the valuation checks are more cyclical than the quality checks.
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Data sourced from SEC EDGAR filings and third-party price providers. Scores, valuations, and metrics are algorithmic estimates. This is not investment advice. See our Terms and Methodology.
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