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Side-by-side financial comparison of Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (BNED) and RLJ Lodging Trust (RLJ). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($598.2M vs $340.0M, roughly 1.8× RLJ Lodging Trust). Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. runs the higher net margin — 4.2% vs -1.9%, a 6.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (6.9% vs 3.6%). Over the past eight quarters, Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (20.0% CAGR vs -4.1%).

Barnes & Noble Booksellers is an American bookseller with the largest number of retail outlets in the United States. The company operates approximately 700+ retail stores across the United States.

The RLJ Companies is an American asset management firm owned by entrepreneur Robert Louis Johnson. After selling Black Entertainment Television in 2001, Johnson's first company, he created RLJ Companies in Bethesda, Maryland. The company's network includes hotel real estate investment, private equity, financial services, asset management, insurance services, car dealerships, sports and entertainment, and video lottery terminal (VLT) gaming. The company is headquartered in Bethesda and has add...

BNED vs RLJ — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
BNED
BNED
1.8× larger
BNED
$598.2M
$340.0M
RLJ
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
BNED
BNED
+3.3% gap
BNED
6.9%
3.6%
RLJ
Higher net margin
BNED
BNED
6.1% more per $
BNED
4.2%
-1.9%
RLJ
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
BNED
BNED
Annualised
BNED
20.0%
-4.1%
RLJ

Income Statement — Q2 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Revenue
$598.2M
$340.0M
Net Profit
$25.0M
$-6.4M
Gross Margin
21.7%
Operating Margin
6.8%
8.2%
Net Margin
4.2%
-1.9%
Revenue YoY
6.9%
3.6%
Net Profit YoY
-49.7%
EPS (diluted)
$0.72

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
$340.0M
Q4 25
$598.2M
$328.6M
Q3 25
$274.2M
$330.0M
Q2 25
$233.0M
$363.1M
Q1 25
$419.7M
$328.1M
Q4 24
$559.7M
$330.0M
Q3 24
$250.9M
$345.7M
Q2 24
$192.7M
$369.3M
Net Profit
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
$-6.4M
Q4 25
$25.0M
$430.0K
Q3 25
$-18.3M
$-3.7M
Q2 25
$-23.0M
$28.5M
Q1 25
$17.9M
$3.4M
Q4 24
$43.2M
$5.4M
Q3 24
$-103.9M
$20.6M
Q2 24
$-41.9M
$37.1M
Gross Margin
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
21.7%
Q3 25
20.2%
Q2 25
30.3%
Q1 25
22.3%
Q4 24
23.0%
Q3 24
17.9%
Q2 24
28.7%
Operating Margin
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
8.2%
Q4 25
6.8%
0.2%
Q3 25
-8.4%
-1.0%
Q2 25
-4.9%
8.0%
Q1 25
4.5%
1.1%
Q4 24
8.4%
1.8%
Q3 24
-15.4%
6.1%
Q2 24
-16.3%
10.2%
Net Margin
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
-1.9%
Q4 25
4.2%
0.1%
Q3 25
-6.7%
-1.1%
Q2 25
-9.9%
7.8%
Q1 25
4.3%
1.0%
Q4 24
7.7%
1.6%
Q3 24
-41.4%
6.0%
Q2 24
-21.7%
10.0%
EPS (diluted)
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
$0.72
$-0.05
Q3 25
$-0.54
$-0.07
Q2 25
$2.97
$0.15
Q1 25
$0.59
$-0.02
Q4 24
$1.63
$-0.01
Q3 24
$-7.69
$0.09
Q2 24
$-15.68
$0.20

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$11.7M
$353.1M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$122.5M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$283.2M
$2.1B
Total Assets
$1.1B
$4.7B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.43×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
$353.1M
Q4 25
$11.7M
$410.2M
Q3 25
$7.3M
$374.8M
Q2 25
$9.1M
$373.9M
Q1 25
$9.2M
$347.5M
Q4 24
$11.6M
$409.8M
Q3 24
$8.2M
$385.4M
Q2 24
$10.5M
$371.1M
Total Debt
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
$122.5M
$2.2B
Q3 25
$170.0M
$2.2B
Q2 25
$103.1M
$2.2B
Q1 25
$141.2M
$2.2B
Q4 24
$177.6M
$2.2B
Q3 24
$221.9M
$2.2B
Q2 24
$196.3M
$2.2B
Stockholders' Equity
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
$2.1B
Q4 25
$283.2M
$2.2B
Q3 25
$256.5M
$2.2B
Q2 25
$272.2M
$2.2B
Q1 25
$292.9M
$2.2B
Q4 24
$211.4M
$2.3B
Q3 24
$149.8M
$2.3B
Q2 24
$80.4M
$2.3B
Total Assets
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
$4.7B
Q4 25
$1.1B
$4.7B
Q3 25
$950.8M
$4.8B
Q2 25
$790.3M
$4.8B
Q1 25
$1.1B
$4.8B
Q4 24
$1.0B
$4.9B
Q3 24
$973.2M
$4.9B
Q2 24
$909.9M
$4.9B
Debt / Equity
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.43×
1.01×
Q3 25
0.66×
1.01×
Q2 25
0.38×
1.00×
Q1 25
0.48×
0.99×
Q4 24
0.84×
0.97×
Q3 24
1.48×
0.96×
Q2 24
2.44×
0.95×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$66.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$61.9M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
10.4%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
0.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.65×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-4.6M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
$66.2M
$243.8M
Q3 25
$-67.6M
$63.3M
Q2 25
$52.6M
$101.3M
Q1 25
$-41.9M
$16.3M
Q4 24
$47.4M
$285.4M
Q3 24
$-143.5M
$80.1M
Q2 24
$81.7M
$113.5M
Free Cash Flow
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
$61.9M
$117.4M
Q3 25
$-71.3M
$33.6M
Q2 25
$49.5M
$66.1M
Q1 25
$-44.7M
$-30.5M
Q4 24
$44.4M
$148.9M
Q3 24
$-147.5M
$45.4M
Q2 24
$79.1M
$74.9M
FCF Margin
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
10.4%
35.7%
Q3 25
-26.0%
10.2%
Q2 25
21.3%
18.2%
Q1 25
-10.7%
-9.3%
Q4 24
7.9%
45.1%
Q3 24
-58.8%
13.1%
Q2 24
41.1%
20.3%
Capex Intensity
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.7%
38.5%
Q3 25
1.4%
9.0%
Q2 25
1.3%
9.7%
Q1 25
0.7%
14.3%
Q4 24
0.5%
41.4%
Q3 24
1.6%
10.0%
Q2 24
1.4%
10.4%
Cash Conversion
BNED
BNED
RLJ
RLJ
Q1 26
Q4 25
2.65×
566.97×
Q3 25
Q2 25
3.56×
Q1 25
-2.34×
4.85×
Q4 24
1.10×
53.09×
Q3 24
3.89×
Q2 24
3.06×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

BNED
BNED

Course Materials Product$459.3M77%
General Merchandise Product$112.9M19%
Serviceand Other$26.1M4%

RLJ
RLJ

Room revenue$275.3M81%
Food and beverage revenue$39.7M12%
Other revenue$25.0M7%

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