BNEDBNEDConsumer Cyclical · Specialty Retail

BNED Stock Forecast: Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 21 Sept 2026
$11
+0.94% on the day

The 2 Wall Street analysts covering Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. hold a median 12-month price target of $17 — +60.6% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 79 of 100 as at 19 Sept 2026 — inside the top quartile. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.

Market cap
$368.8M
Ticker Nerd rank
79 / 100
Median analyst target
$17
Analysts covering
2
Revenue$290.6M+0.8% y/y
Operating income−$18.9M
Net income−$12.9M
Free cash flow−$56.4M
Quarterly, 8 quarters to 31 July 2026 · latest quarter's figure shown
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
−2.3%
1M
−10.9%
YTD
+17.6%
1Y
+15.8%
From 52W high
−21.3%
From 52W low
+76.6%
$6
$14
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

BNED stock analysis: one number for the whole business

Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.

Where the model ranks itAs at 19 Sept 2026
79 / 100

Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested

Accruals
85
Value
72
Issuance
70
Revisions
65
Momentum
64
Quality
62
Size
58
Growth
49
Volatility
23

Accruals (85): Reported profit is backed by cash, and the company is not expanding recklessly.

Volatility (23): The share price moves around a lot.

Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.

Wall Street

BNED stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on BNED, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$5$10$15$20Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26BNEDHigh $19Median $17Low $16

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Data provided by Twelve Data

What Wall Street says2 analysts
2 Buy0 Hold0 Sell
Low $16Median $17High $19

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +60.6% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first
DateFirmActionRatingTarget
9 Sept 2026NeedhamReiteratesBuy$16
26 June 2026NeedhamUpgradeBuy$16
26 June 2026NeedhamUpgradeBuy
10 June 2026Northland Capital MarketsInitiatesOutperform
24 May 2024NeedhamReiteratesHold
17 Apr 2024NeedhamReiteratesHold
12 Jan 2024NeedhamDowngradeHold
11 Jan 2024Craig-HallumDowngradeHold
7 Dec 2023NeedhamReiteratesBuy
4 Aug 2023NeedhamReiteratesBuy
1 June 2023NeedhamReiteratesBuy
10 Mar 2023NeedhamReiteratesBuy
9 Mar 2022NeedhamMaintainsBuy
27 Oct 2021NeedhamMaintainsBuy
10 Mar 2021NeedhamMaintainsBuy
4 Sept 2020Craig-HallumUpgradeBuy
31 Mar 2020Craig-HallumDowngradeHold
16 Mar 2020Craig-HallumDowngradeHold
17 Sept 2019Sidoti & Co.DowngradeNeutral
8 Apr 2019NeedhamInitiatesBuy

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.

Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. BNED appears on the weeks it earns a place.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Performance

BNED vs the S&P 500

Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.

Over the twelve months to 21 Sept 2026, Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. returned +15.8% against +17.8% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

BNED vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
6080100120140Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26BNEDS&P 500

Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.

Data provided by Twelve Data

Estimates

BNED analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
+121.2%
Analysts raising
0
Analysts cutting
0
Fundamentals

Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (BNED) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
16.1×

Cheaper than 44% of US stocks

Price / sales
0.2×

Cheaper than 92% of US stocks

Price / book
1.3×

Cheaper than 62% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
8.6×

Cheaper than 43% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
0.8%

Higher than 29% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
0.8%

Higher than 37% of US stocks

Gross margin
19.6%

Higher than 20% of US stocks

Operating margin
−5.9%

Higher than 26% of US stocks

Net margin
1.3%

Higher than 50% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
8.3%

Higher than 59% of US stocks

Return on assets
2.9%

Higher than 65% of US stocks

Dividend yield
3.0%

Higher than 64% of US dividend payers

Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.

Key statistics

Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (BNED) statistics: revenue, profit & scale

The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.

  • Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. has a market value of $368.8M and an enterprise value of $634.2M.

  • Revenue in the twelve months to 31 July 2026: $1.7B. The latest quarter grew 0.8% year on year.

  • Net income over the same four quarters: $22.2M, a 1.3% net margin.

  • Free cash flow in the twelve months to 31 July 2026: $48.8M.

  • Shares outstanding: 34.7M.

  • Trailing P/E: 16.1×; forward P/E: 10.5× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.

  • Forward dividend yield: 3.01%, paying out 12% of earnings.

  • Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. employs 2,365 people $726K of revenue per employee.

Statement figures: company filings via Twelve Data, four quarters to 31 July 2026 · market figures as at 22 Sept 2026

Data provided by Twelve Data

Peers

BNED vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelSpecialty Retail
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
BNEDBarnes & Noble Education, Inc.$368.8M
79
BBWBuild-A-Bear Workshop, Inc.$306.4M
40
ARKOARKO Corp.$470.2M
77
EVGOEVgo, Inc.$477.1M
12
CHPTChargePoint Holdings, Inc.$267.3M
85
BWMXBetterware de Mexico SAPI de CV$645.9M
83
WOOFPetco Health & Wellness Company, Inc.$663.7M
76

Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.

The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →

News

Latest BNED news & analysis

Are Investors Undervaluing Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) Right Now?

Zacks Investment Research · 21 Sept 2026neutral

Zacks Investment Research published an article considering whether investors are currently undervaluing Barnes & Noble Education (BNED). The piece highlights Zacks' approach of using the Zacks Rank system, which focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while also examining value, growth, and momentum trends.

Why it matters — BNED watchers would care because the article suggests Zacks is evaluating the company based on earnings estimates and valuation trends, which could draw fresh analytical attention to the stock.

Implied Volatility Surging for Barnes & Noble Education Stock Options

Zacks Investment Research · 18 Sept 2026neutral

Recent movements in the options market have drawn attention to Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) stock, with implied volatility surging. Zacks notes investors should closely monitor the stock given the activity.

Why it matters — A BNED watcher would care because rising implied volatility and increased options activity can signal heightened investor attention and potential price movement ahead.

Barnes & Noble Education: Improving Fundamentals

Seeking Alpha · 14 Sept 2026positive

Barnes & Noble Education is shifting from a legacy bookstore retailer to an infrastructure provider for inclusive-access programs that make educational materials more affordable. This model offers recurring revenue, higher sales volume, and more predictable pricing, and is currently the part of the business driving BNED's growth. The author notes the company's sales multiple still prices it like a legacy retailer and expects that mispricing to correct as the financial outlook improves.

Why it matters — BNED watchers would care because the analysis highlights the company's ongoing business-model transformation toward recurring-revenue inclusive-access services, which is supporting growth and may uplift its valuation.

Barnes & Noble Education: The Price Already Accounts For Guidance Missing

Seeking Alpha · 11 Sept 2026neutral

Barnes & Noble Education is rated buy, with its current valuation appearing to price in a guidance miss despite contracted fall enrollment rising 25%. Q1 FY27 showed improved margins and reduced overhead, though revenue growth lagged at 0.8% as First Day program gains were offset by declines elsewhere, while management maintained FY27 adjusted EBITDA guidance of $85–92M.

Why it matters — BNED watchers would care because the article suggests the stock's valuation already accounts for a possible guidance miss, while enrollment gains and maintained EBITDA guidance point to uncertain but potentially improving fundamentals.

Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) Reports Q1 Loss, Misses Revenue Estimates

Zacks Investment Research · 8 Sept 2026negative

Barnes & Noble Education reported a fiscal first-quarter loss of $0.37 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a $0.50 loss but missed revenue estimates. This compares to a loss of $0.47 per share in the same period a year earlier.

Why it matters — BNED watchers would note that while the per-share loss improved from both the consensus estimate and the prior-year quarter, the company still missed revenue expectations in the period.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about BNED stock

What is the BNED stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 2 Wall Street analysts covering Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. have a median 12-month price target of $17, with estimates ranging from $16 to $19. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is BNED stock a buy right now?

Of the 2 analysts covering Barnes & Noble Education, Inc., 2 rate it a Buy, 0 a Hold and 0 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. 79 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 19 Sept 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank BNED?

As at 19 Sept 2026, Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. ranks 79 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Accruals (85 of 100).

Will BNED stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 2 analysts implies +60.6% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. 79 out of 100 as at 19 Sept 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the BNED stock forecast for 2030?

No analyst covering Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for BNED are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $16 to $19 over the next 12 months.

How has BNED stock performed over the past year?

Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. returned +15.8% over the 12 months to 21 Sept 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. do?

Barnes & Noble Education Inc. is an education services company that supports colleges, universities, and K-12 institutions across the United States.

What is the latest news on BNED?

The most recent item we track (Zacks Investment Research, 21 Sept 2026): "Are Investors Undervaluing Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) Right Now?". Zacks Investment Research published an article considering whether investors are currently undervaluing Barnes & Noble Education (BNED). The piece highlights Zacks' approach of using the Zacks Rank system, which focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while also examining value, growth, and momentum trends.

Company

About Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.

Barnes & Noble Education Inc. is an education services company that supports colleges, universities, and K-12 institutions across the United States. Barnes & Noble Education Inc. operates physical and virtual bookstores that provide course materials, including print and digital textbooks, rentals, and publisher-hosted digital courseware, alongside general merchandise, school spirit items, and convenience products. The company also offers wholesale textbook distribution and store technology solutions, such as inventory management and point-of-sale tools, to help institutions manage academic retail operations. Its product and service mix is designed to improve access to required learning materials and support campus commerce through integrated retail and digital offerings. Barnes & Noble Education Inc. plays a significant role in the education market by connecting students, faculty, and institutional partners with essential course content and bookstore services.

CEO Mr. Michael P. Huseby · 2,365 employees · United States · https://www.bned.com