Barnes & Noble Education Q1 2026 Results
Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (NYSE:BNED) released its first‑quarter results for the period ended August 1, 2026. Revenue totaled $290.6 million, representing a 0.8% year‑over‑year increase from $288.2 million in the comparable prior‑year quarter, but it fell short of the $307.06 million analyst consensus estimate. The increase was driven primarily by the BNC First Day® program, whose revenue rose $10.3 million (9.0%) to $124.7 million, partially offset by store closures. Comparable store sales grew 3.7% YoY.
The company reported a loss of $0.37 per share, beating the consensus expectation of a $0.49 loss per share. Net loss narrowed 29.3% to $12.9 million, compared with $18.3 million in the prior‑year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA improved 18.9%, moving to a loss of $9.3 million from $11.5 million YoY.
CEO Jonathan Shar stated, “We began fiscal 2027 on plan, with continued momentum across the business and year‑over‑year improvement across each of our key operating and financial measures.”
The First Day® Complete program is slated to reach more than 1.43 million students across 263 campuses in Fall 2026, reflecting a 26% growth from Fall 2025. The financial impact of this expansion is expected to be reflected in the second and subsequent quarters of fiscal 2027.
For fiscal 2027, Barnes & Noble Education reiterated its outlook of adjusted EBITDA between $85 million and $92 million and projected capital expenditures of approximately $20 million. Total debt at quarter‑end stood at $123.5 million, down from $170.0 million in the prior‑year period.
The stock was unchanged in after‑hours trading following the release, but closed 3.69% lower on the day of the announcement.