Barnes & Noble’s third quarter results, reported this morning, show the trickiness of navigating this transitional retailing (and etailing) climate. Following their best holiday period in years, sales rose 7 percent and profits were within the company’s own guidance. Both measures were below analysts’ expectations, though, with profits down from a year ago, and the company is suspending its quarterly dividend of twenty-five cents per share. The dividend reduction was expected long ago, since the company is investing in its digital strategy and has financing the dividend through borrowings rather than earnings. But the combination of lower earnings and no […]
