WinstonWınston
Back
Bloomsbury Publishing logo

Bloomsbury Publishing

BMY.L
61
Publishing · Communication Services
Price
654.00 GBp
+11.00 (+1.71%)
Market Cap
£528.7M
Exchange
London Stock Exchange
Winston Score
61
Winston is curious
A decent business — some strong pillars, some weaker.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Feb 28, 2026
How the score breaks down
Quality
Good
Growth
Mixed
Cash Flow
Strong
Stability
Exceptional
Valuation
Strong
Dividends
Strong

Share count falling — buybacks

1.1% over 4y

The company has reduced its share count over this period, returning value to shareholders through buybacks.

Diluted shares outstanding: 83.1M (2022) → 82.1M (2026)

Winston Score History

The full picture

Bloomsbury Publishing is a British book publisher that makes and sells books for readers of all ages. It is best known for publishing the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, which made it one of the most recognized independent publishers in the world. Its customers include everyday readers, schools, libraries, and academic institutions, and it operates across both consumer fiction and non-fiction as well as academic and professional publishing.

Bloomsbury earns money by selling physical books, e-books, and digital academic content through subscriptions and licensing. It operates mainly in the UK and US, with a growing presence in India and other international markets, and generates roughly £300 million in annual revenue. Its academic division, which sells subscription-based digital resources to universities and libraries, provides more predictable recurring revenue and is a key growth driver, though the consumer publishing side remains dependent on hit titles and faces ongoing pressure from larger rivals like Penguin Random House.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

Each metric is explained in plain language so you know exactly what you're looking at. Start your free trial now.

Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
54.6%
Healthy — 54.6% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
10.2%
Modest — 10.2% operating margin
Return on the money invested
ROCE
16.1%
Strong — 16.1% return on capital

ROIC between 15% and 25%. Every dollar invested in the business earns 15 to 25 cents back per year.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
-9.7%
Shrinking sales (-9.7% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
+6.5%
Modest earnings growth (+6.5% YoY)

Single-digit earnings growth — steady but not exciting.

How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
6/8 quarters
Earnings grew in most of the last 8 quarters

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
149%
Turns 149% of profit into real cash
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
11.9%
Modest free cash flow (11.9%)

FCF margin between 10% and 20%. Every $100 in sales becomes $10 to $20 in real cash.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
0.07
Conservative — low debt load (0.07)
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
19.53x
Comfortably covers interest (19.5x)

Interest coverage above 8. Profits cover interest many times over.

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
19.8x
Fair value — P/E 19.8

P/E in the normal range. Price is roughly $15 for every $1 of yearly profit.

Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
+5.5
GROWING
Earnings expected to grow meaningfully — cheaper on forward P/E (19.8 → 14.3)

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free

Dividends

Dividend
Dividend Yield
2.44%
Moderate income — 2.44% yield

Standard yield zone for stable dividend payers. A meaningful piece of total return.

Dividend record
Dividend Growth
+19.6%
Dividend growing fast (19.6% YoY)

Full breakdown available with your free trial

See every metric, trend, and what it means for this stock.

Try free
🔒 See full fundamentals and if they are improving or declining — click here for your free trial now.
Start free trial