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

SBA Communications is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($719.6M vs $598.2M, roughly 1.2× Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.). SBA Communications runs the higher net margin — 51.5% vs 4.2%, a 47.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (6.9% vs 3.7%). SBA Communications produced more free cash flow last quarter ($833.3M vs $61.9M). Over the past eight quarters, Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (20.0% CAGR vs 4.6%).

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.

SBA Communications Corporation is a real estate investment trust which owns and operates wireless infrastructure in the United States, Canada, Central America, South America, and South Africa. It was founded in 1989 as Steven Bernstein and Associates by Steven Bernstein.

BNED vs SBAC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SBAC
SBAC
1.2× larger
SBAC
$719.6M
$598.2M
BNED
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
BNED
BNED
+3.2% gap
BNED
6.9%
3.7%
SBAC
Higher net margin
SBAC
SBAC
47.3% more per $
SBAC
51.5%
4.2%
BNED
More free cash flow
SBAC
SBAC
$771.4M more FCF
SBAC
$833.3M
$61.9M
BNED
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
BNED
BNED
Annualised
BNED
20.0%
4.6%
SBAC

Income Statement — Q2 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Revenue
$598.2M
$719.6M
Net Profit
$25.0M
$370.4M
Gross Margin
21.7%
75.6%
Operating Margin
6.8%
41.5%
Net Margin
4.2%
51.5%
Revenue YoY
6.9%
3.7%
Net Profit YoY
-49.7%
107.2%
EPS (diluted)
$0.72
$3.47

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
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
$598.2M
$719.6M
Q3 25
$274.2M
$732.3M
Q2 25
$233.0M
$699.0M
Q1 25
$419.7M
$664.2M
Q4 24
$559.7M
$693.7M
Q3 24
$250.9M
$667.6M
Q2 24
$192.7M
$660.5M
Q1 24
$415.4M
$657.9M
Net Profit
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
$25.0M
$370.4M
Q3 25
$-18.3M
$236.8M
Q2 25
$-23.0M
$225.8M
Q1 25
$17.9M
$220.7M
Q4 24
$43.2M
$178.8M
Q3 24
$-103.9M
$258.5M
Q2 24
$-41.9M
$162.8M
Q1 24
$-9.3M
$154.5M
Gross Margin
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
21.7%
75.6%
Q3 25
20.2%
74.1%
Q2 25
30.3%
75.4%
Q1 25
22.3%
76.9%
Q4 24
23.0%
78.1%
Q3 24
17.9%
77.5%
Q2 24
28.7%
78.6%
Q1 24
24.2%
79.0%
Operating Margin
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
6.8%
41.5%
Q3 25
-8.4%
51.1%
Q2 25
-4.9%
47.9%
Q1 25
4.5%
50.4%
Q4 24
8.4%
55.1%
Q3 24
-15.4%
56.3%
Q2 24
-16.3%
53.7%
Q1 24
0.4%
49.2%
Net Margin
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
4.2%
51.5%
Q3 25
-6.7%
32.3%
Q2 25
-9.9%
32.3%
Q1 25
4.3%
33.2%
Q4 24
7.7%
25.8%
Q3 24
-41.4%
38.7%
Q2 24
-21.7%
24.7%
Q1 24
-2.2%
23.5%
EPS (diluted)
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
$0.72
$3.47
Q3 25
$-0.54
$2.20
Q2 25
$2.97
$2.09
Q1 25
$0.59
$2.04
Q4 24
$1.63
$1.61
Q3 24
$-7.69
$2.40
Q2 24
$-15.68
$1.51
Q1 24
$-3.49
$1.42

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$11.7M
$271.2M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$122.5M
$12.9B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$283.2M
$-4.9B
Total Assets
$1.1B
$11.6B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.43×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
$11.7M
$271.2M
Q3 25
$7.3M
$431.1M
Q2 25
$9.1M
$276.8M
Q1 25
$9.2M
$702.2M
Q4 24
$11.6M
$444.4M
Q3 24
$8.2M
$202.6M
Q2 24
$10.5M
$250.9M
Q1 24
$8.1M
$241.9M
Total Debt
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
$122.5M
$12.9B
Q3 25
$170.0M
$12.7B
Q2 25
$103.1M
$12.5B
Q1 25
$141.2M
$12.4B
Q4 24
$177.6M
$13.6B
Q3 24
$221.9M
$12.3B
Q2 24
$196.3M
$12.3B
Q1 24
$30.2M
$12.4B
Stockholders' Equity
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
$283.2M
$-4.9B
Q3 25
$256.5M
$-4.9B
Q2 25
$272.2M
$-4.9B
Q1 25
$292.9M
$-5.0B
Q4 24
$211.4M
$-5.1B
Q3 24
$149.8M
$-5.2B
Q2 24
$80.4M
$-5.3B
Q1 24
$121.5M
$-5.2B
Total Assets
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
$1.1B
$11.6B
Q3 25
$950.8M
$11.3B
Q2 25
$790.3M
$10.8B
Q1 25
$1.1B
$10.4B
Q4 24
$1.0B
$11.4B
Q3 24
$973.2M
$10.2B
Q2 24
$909.9M
$9.8B
Q1 24
$1.2B
$10.0B
Debt / Equity
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
0.43×
Q3 25
0.66×
Q2 25
0.38×
Q1 25
0.48×
Q4 24
0.84×
Q3 24
1.48×
Q2 24
2.44×
Q1 24
0.25×

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
SBAC
SBAC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$66.2M
$1.3B
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$61.9M
$833.3M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
10.4%
115.8%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
0.7%
63.7%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.65×
3.49×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-4.6M
$1.7B

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
$66.2M
$1.3B
Q3 25
$-67.6M
$318.0M
Q2 25
$52.6M
$368.1M
Q1 25
$-41.9M
$301.2M
Q4 24
$47.4M
$1.3B
Q3 24
$-143.5M
$304.7M
Q2 24
$81.7M
$425.6M
Q1 24
$-35.8M
$294.5M
Free Cash Flow
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
$61.9M
$833.3M
Q3 25
$-71.3M
$258.0M
Q2 25
$49.5M
$312.2M
Q1 25
$-44.7M
$255.0M
Q4 24
$44.4M
$1.2B
Q3 24
$-147.5M
$239.9M
Q2 24
$79.1M
$375.6M
Q1 24
$-39.0M
$236.6M
FCF Margin
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
10.4%
115.8%
Q3 25
-26.0%
35.2%
Q2 25
21.3%
44.7%
Q1 25
-10.7%
38.4%
Q4 24
7.9%
179.9%
Q3 24
-58.8%
35.9%
Q2 24
41.1%
56.9%
Q1 24
-9.4%
36.0%
Capex Intensity
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
0.7%
63.7%
Q3 25
1.4%
8.2%
Q2 25
1.3%
8.0%
Q1 25
0.7%
7.0%
Q4 24
0.5%
12.6%
Q3 24
1.6%
9.7%
Q2 24
1.4%
7.6%
Q1 24
0.8%
8.8%
Cash Conversion
BNED
BNED
SBAC
SBAC
Q4 25
2.65×
3.49×
Q3 25
1.34×
Q2 25
1.63×
Q1 25
-2.34×
1.36×
Q4 24
1.10×
7.47×
Q3 24
1.18×
Q2 24
2.61×
Q1 24
1.91×

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%

SBAC
SBAC

Segment breakdown not available.

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