Build-A-Bear Workshop (BBW) vs Barnes & Noble Education (BNED)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) has outperformed Build-A-Bear Workshop (BBW) over the past year, gaining 23.8% versus a loss of 56.0%. Over five years, BBW leads with a +64.8% price change compared with -98.9% for BNED. Barnes & Noble Education is the larger company by market cap ($403.2 million vs $317.5 million), about 1.3 times the size.
On valuation, Build-A-Bear Workshop trades at a lower forward P/E (6.5x vs 11.5x for Barnes & Noble Education). Build-A-Bear Workshop offers the higher dividend yield (3.41% vs 0.69%).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | BBW | BNED |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $25.77 | $11.63 |
| Market cap | $317.47M | $403.15M |
| 1-day change | +0.78% | -0.26% |
| YTD return | -58.27% | +26.88% |
| 1-year return | -55.96% | +23.78% |
| 5-year return | +64.76% | -98.90% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 6.38 | 18.17 |
| Forward P/E | 6.52 | 11.51 |
| EPS (TTM) | $4.04 | $0.64 |
| Dividend yield | 3.41% | 0.69% |
| Annual dividend | $0.88 | $0.08 |
| 52-week high | $72.19 | $14.75 |
| 52-week low | $24.15 | $5.90 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -64.30% | -21.15% |
| Analyst consensus | strong_buy | none |
| Avg. price target upside | +74.62% | +48.32% |
| Average volume | 576.63K | 272.92K |
| Shares outstanding | 12.32M | 34.66M |
| Employees | 1,200 | 2,365 |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Recreational Games/Products/Toys | Other Specialty Stores |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- BNED has outperformed BBW by 79.7 percentage points over the past year.
- Barnes & Noble Education trades at a higher earnings multiple (18.2x vs 6.4x trailing P/E).
- Build-A-Bear Workshop offers a meaningfully higher dividend yield (3.41% vs 0.69%).
About Build-A-Bear Workshop
BBW stock →Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. operates as a mall-based, experiential specialty retailer for children in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, North America, and Europe.
Consumer Discretionary · Recreational Games/Products/Toys · 1,200 employees
About Barnes & Noble Education
BNED stock →Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. operates bookstores for college and university campuses, and K-12 institutions primarily in the United States.
Consumer Discretionary · Other Specialty Stores · 2,365 employees
BBW vs BNED FAQ
Which is bigger, Build-A-Bear Workshop or Barnes & Noble Education?
Barnes & Noble Education (BNED) is larger, with a market capitalization of $403.15M compared with $317.47M for Build-A-Bear Workshop (BBW).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, BBW or BNED?
BNED returned +23.78% over the past 12 months, compared with -55.96% for BBW (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, BBW or BNED?
BBW has the lower trailing P/E at 6.4, versus 18.2 for BNED. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Build-A-Bear Workshop or Barnes & Noble Education?
Build-A-Bear Workshop has the higher yield at 3.41%, compared with 0.69% for Barnes & Noble Education.
Are Build-A-Bear Workshop and Barnes & Noble Education in the same industry?
Both are in the Consumer Discretionary sector, but in different industries: Recreational Games/Products/Toys for Build-A-Bear Workshop and Other Specialty Stores for Barnes & Noble Education.