Earnings Preview: Barnes & Noble Inc.

Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect the company to post a loss of 15 cents per share for the quarter.

ANALYST TAKE: William Armstrong, an analyst for CL King & Assoc., said same-store sales are likely to fall within the range indicated by management. He said music remains the weakest performing category of its business.

In a research note Tuesday, he said competitive pricing also continues to hurt sales, indicated by the precipitous drop in same-store sales figures. But the company's gross margins are likely to be flat.

WHAT'S AHEAD: The company's management has said its e-book strategy will be developed in phases but would not release details ahead of those launches.

STOCK PERFORMANCE: Shares grew 58 percent during the quarter.