Barnes and noble earnings

Shares of the Barnes and Noble rose nearly 15% last week, after the bookseller posted healthy growth for its Nook e-reader. But the quarter itself was a mess: The company posted a steep loss, and non-digital sales fell by 11%. If only there were a company with a stronger e-book business that could run an online store profitably...

Netflix's massively controversial rate hike will finally go into effect, and new waves of earnings will wash ashore, including fashion brands, retail outlets, Barnes and Noble, and a curious company whose fortune might well represent the health of the gaming industry.

Barnes & Noble had its best holiday season in over a decade with store sales up 9.7% over last year, and online sales soaring a whopping 67%.

It has been a tumultuous year for Barnes & Noble, the country's largest bookseller, and its quarterly earnings report reflects that. Total sales for the quarter were $1.9 billion, a bit less of a gain than analysts had predicted, while earnings were a net loss of $12.6 million, also worse than expected.

Barnes & Noble reports a consolidated net loss of $63 million, or $1.12 per share. That's considerably more than the loss estimated by investors. Meanwhile, a battle with a major shareholder intensifies.