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Cato Corp (CATO) stock

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NYSE: CATO NYSE Apparel Retail Next results ~November 19, 2026

D Fundamentals grade

Cato Corp is a US-listed company in the apparel retail industry. Its financial year ends in January.

Stock price today

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Third-party market data · may be delayed

Model estimate per share

~$20

Revenue-to-maturity cash-flow model

Base case. Range ~$20–$24 across our lower- and higher-growth cases (0%–5% a year).

Price vs value

No Buy/Hold/Sell rating is issued: only 1 valuation models apply; a rating needs 3.

Cato Corp valuation: adjust assumptions and compare models →

Who’s trading

What company insiders, investment funds and members of Congress have been doing with the stock, from their own filings.

  • Funds17 adding, 17 cuttingOf 7 active managers that changed their stake, 4 added; quarter to June 30, 2026Fund buyers and sellers

Value diary

Our note on each quarter Cato files

Where Cato stands after its latest 10-Q

Revenue for the twelve months to August 2026 was $644m, down 1.1% on a year earlier, against growth of 1.8% a quarter earlier. Free-cash-flow margin rose to 0.3% from -2.8% a year earlier. Against its peers on growth, profitability, cash generation and balance sheet, it grades D. It passes 1 of our 1 financial-health checks. Our revenue-to-maturity cash-flow model value is $20.61 a share, against a share price of $2.38.

Source: 10-Q filed August 27, 2026 on SEC EDGAR · Financials · Valuation

Written from the company's filings and our models when each quarter's report arrives. Figures in older notes are as published at the time. Not investment advice.

The Fundamentalytics view

Next results ~November 19, 2026 (estimated)

Cato Corp's trailing-twelve-month revenue fell 1.1% year on year, with a free-cash-flow margin of 0.3%. Where it stands out: stock pay as % of revenue of 0.3% ranks 3 of 26 apparel retail companies we cover. Where it lags: change in growth rate of -2.9pp ranks 27 of 28 apparel retail companies we cover.

Current signal Net margin expanding: TTM net margin reached -0.9%, up 2.0pp year over year.

Assembled from SEC-filed figures — the full workings are on this page and in our methodology. Observations, not recommendations.

Highlights

How we pick these

Strengths

Nothing in Cato Corp's latest figures clears our strength thresholds.

Things to watch

  • Revenue shrinking. Revenue fell 1.1% over the last 12 months.
  • Loss-making. Operating margin is -2.1%: costs exceed revenue.
  • Volatile shares. Over the past year the shares showed annualised volatility of 51% and a beta of 0.7 against the S&P 500.
  • Growth easing. The growth rate is 2.9 points lower than a quarter earlier.
  • Below peers: change in growth rate. Change in growth rate of -2.9pp ranks 27 of 28 apparel retail companies we cover (median -0.2pp).
  • Below peers: free-cash-flow margin. Free-cash-flow margin of 0.3% ranks 24 of 28 apparel retail companies we cover (median 3.0%).

Latest results: FY2027 Q2

Filed August 27, 2026
Revenue
$166m, down 6.2% on a year earlier
Share reaction
-0.7% in the first session after the results on August 25, 2026, against +0.3% for the S&P 500
Next report
November 19, 2026

Cato's figures from its SEC filings and results release; estimates are the analysts' average. Not a recommendation.

Price chart

  • 1 day0.0%
  • 1 week-3.7%
  • 1 month-3.7%
  • This year-25.2%
  • 1 year-40.0%
  • 5 years-83.8%
  • S&P 500 this year+11.2%

Closing prices to 2026-11-02. Price change only, dividends excluded.

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Third-party market data · may be delayed

At a glance

Trailing twelve months, from SEC filings

Profitability

Revenue (TTM)
$644M
Operating margin
-2.1%
Net margin
-0.9%
EPS (TTM, diluted)
$-0.30

Growth

Revenue growth
−1.1%
Change in growth rate
−2.9 pts
Share count change
−0.5%

Cash

Free cash flow (TTM)
$1.6M
FCF margin
0.3%
Stock pay % of revenue
0.3%

Earnings

Last results
August 25, 2026
Next results (est.)
November 23, 2026

News & updates

Updated October 31, 2026

Company announcements, filed results and changes that matter to shareholders.

  1. Announcement
  2. Results

Refreshed hourly when new source data is available. Summaries are checked against company releases and SEC filings. Company announcement headlines are labelled when a checked summary is unavailable.

Valuation

Cato Corp valuation models and calculator

Fundamentalytics rating

model v1.6 · 2026-11-03

Not rated: only 1 valuation models apply; a rating needs 3.

Valuation models

We value Cato Corp as an operating company, with every model that fits that kind of business. Cost of equity 9.4%: the 10-year Treasury yield (4.9%) plus a beta of 0.99 times a 4.5% equity risk premium.

Value per share by model
Model Value per share In the combined value?
Revenue-to-maturity model Revenue grown to maturity with the cash margin moving to the industry's; for companies not yet profitable. ~$20 ~$20–$24 Left out: out of range vs price (8.55x)
Price-to-earnings vs peers Earnings per share times peers' typical (harmonic-mean) price-to-earnings. — Does not apply: no positive earnings in the latest twelve months
Residual income Book value plus the present value of returns above the cost of equity, fading over ten years. — Does not apply: the model gives no positive value
Justified price-to-book Book value times (return on equity - growth) / (cost of equity - growth): steady-state returns. — Does not apply: return on equity is not positive
Price-to-sales vs peers Sales per share times peers' typical price-to-sales; used only when earnings are negative. ~$4.6 ~$8.6–$41 Included, half weight
Combined value Weighted average of the models that apply: the primary model (revenue-to-maturity model) counts double. Models more than 5x or less than 0.2x the share price, or more than 3x away from the other models' median, are left out. ~$4.6 ~$4.6–$41 1 model

Different models fail in different ways, so where several apply we average them rather than trust one. Peer-based models compare Cato Corp with Apparel Retail in our coverage, using third-party market data. Model values are estimates under stated assumptions, updated as new filings arrive; not price targets or investment advice. How each model works.

Valuation multiples over time Market data may be delayed

At fiscal year end 20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026Now
Share price$22.65$15.09$7.18$10.03$11.91$8.65$12.64$8.42$6.25$3.35$3.05$2.31
Market value$620m$405m$179m$241m$283m$195m$267m$168m$121m$64m$57m$44m
+ Net debt (− = net cash)−$67m−$50m−$78m−$25m−$12m−$18m−$20m−$20m−$24m−$20m−$17m−$35m
Enterprise value$553m$356m$101m$216m$271m$177m$247m$148m$97m$44m$41m$8m
Multiples
Price / sales 0.6x0.4x0.2x0.3x0.3x0.3x0.3x0.2x0.2x0.1x0.1x0.1x
Price / earnings 9.3x8.6x20.9x7.9x7.9x—7.2xn/m————
Price / free cash flow 9.2x9.0x7.2x4.3x6.3x—4.8x————26.8x
EV / EBITDA ——2.8x4.4x4.6x—4.8x19.7x————

Market value uses the period's diluted share count; figures for each fiscal year use that year's results and the price at year end. "Now" uses today's price and the last twelve months.

Moat

45 /100

Moderate moat

How hard Cato's competitive advantage looks for rivals to wear away, judged from 10 years of its own filings: returns on capital, pricing power, profit durability, cash conversion and discipline.

  • Returns on capital 2 / 20

    Cash operating profit has been a median 3.2% of total assets over 10 years.

  • Pricing power 12 / 20

    Gross margin has been a median 34.3%, moving by 2.3 percentage points (standard deviation) across 10 years.

  • Durability 10 / 20

    Operating margin has been a median -1.3%; its worst year was -6.9%.

  • Cash conversion 6 / 20

    Free cash flow was positive in 6 of 10 years, at a median 0.2% of revenue.

  • Discipline 20 / 20

    The diluted share count fell 13.4% over five years; stock-based pay has been a median 0.5% of revenue.

AI disruption exposure: Medium. In this industry, AI could change how the product is made or sold, without replacing the core asset. The score above includes a 5-point deduction for that exposure (50 before it).

A rules-based reading of reported figures, not a forecast and not investment advice. How the score is built: methodology.

Forecasts and guidance

Next results: November 19, 2026, before the open.

Analysts' consensus

No analyst estimates are published for Cato Corp: too few analysts cover it.

Management guidance

Earnings release, August 25, 2026

No numeric guidance in Cato Corp's latest earnings release (filed August 25, 2026). Some companies give their outlook only on the earnings call.

Positioning

Short interest
2.5%
of tradable shares
Days to cover
7.12
at average volume
Short interest, 1 month
+10%
to October 15, 2026
Held by institutions
32%
of shares
Held by insiders
13.9%
of shares
Employees
6,700
full time

Consensus figures average analysts' published estimates (third-party data); guidance is the company's own. Neither is our forecast. Short interest is reported twice a month and lags. Market data may be delayed.

This section is general information, not investment advice or a personal recommendation, and it does not take account of your objectives or circumstances. Forecasts and guidance are estimates, not promises: companies miss their own guidance and analysts' figures are often revised. Prices can fall as well as rise, and you can lose money. See our disclaimer.

Share-price performance

Market data may be delayed

What moved the share price

Last 12 months −40.0%

$3.85 on October 31, 2025 to $2.31

ThenNowEffect
Revenue (last 12 months) $651m $644m −1.1%
P/S multiple 0.1x 0.1x −39.6%
Share count 19m 19m +0.5%

Biggest factor: p/s multiple. Loss-making at one end, so the split uses price/sales.

Last 3 years −63.6%

$6.35 on November 3, 2023 to $2.31

ThenNowEffect
Revenue (last 12 months) $731m $644m −11.9%
P/S multiple 0.2x 0.1x −60.2%
Share count 20m 19m +3.7%

Biggest factor: p/s multiple. Loss-making at one end, so the split uses price/sales.

The effects multiply back to the price change exactly. Results are the last 12 months as known on each date (filings assumed public 45 days after quarter end).

Return and risk by year

Calendar year 202120222023202420252026 to date
Return
CATO+84%−42%−17%−40%−21%−25%
Industry peers (median)+58%−41%+11%+11%+11%−6%
S&P 500+29%−18%+26%+25%+18%+11%
Months that ended higher
CATO67%25%42%33%50%27%
S&P 50075%42%67%75%75%46%
Largest fall from a high during the year
CATO−23%−50%−32%−54%−42%−39%
S&P 500−5%−25%−10%−8%−19%−9%

Worst fall since November 2, 2015: 90% from January 29, 2016 to April 14, 2025. Getting back needed a 898% gain, and the shares have not yet recovered.

Price behaviour

52-week range
$2.30 – $3.95
From 52-week high
−41.5%
vs 50-day average
−5.6%
vs 200-day average
−21.6%
Volatility (1 year)
51%
Beta vs S&P 500
0.72

Volatility is the annualised standard deviation of daily returns. Beta 1.5 means the shares typically moved 1.5% for each 1% move in the S&P 500 over the past year. Prices to November 2, 2026.

Share price after results

Next day
1 up, 11 down
typical move ±4.5%
After a week
4 up, 8 down
typical move ±5.2%
After a month
6 up, 6 down
typical move ±7.0%
Results releasedNext dayS&P 500 next day5 days21 days
August 25, 2026 −0.7% +0.3% −6.5% −12.9%
May 26, 2026 −5.8% +0.6% −5.8% −1.8%
March 23, 2026 −5.5% +0.7% −5.1% +1.4%
November 24, 2025 +6.5% +2.4% +7.1% −3.1%
August 26, 2025 −3.9% +0.6% +3.9% +5.2%
May 27, 2025 −11.8% +1.5% −10.4% −4.2%
March 24, 2025 −6.9% +2.0% −4.9% −31.4%
November 25, 2024 −6.1% +0.9% −8.8% +8.0%
August 27, 2024 −0.2% −0.4% +1.7% +1.7%
May 28, 2024 −2.8% −0.6% +2.8% +0.7%
March 25, 2024 −1.8% −0.5% −2.0% −10.8%
November 20, 2023 −2.3% +0.6% −3.3% +2.2%

From the close before the release date to the close 1, 5 and 21 trading days after it, so releases before the open and after the close are both captured. Past moves don't predict future ones.

Cato Corp in five measures

Fundamentals grade D
Growth Profitability Cash Balance sheet

Growth, profitability, cash generation and balance sheet are percentiles against the companies we cover in the same industry, from SEC filings (100 = best). Value compares the share price with our modelled value range (50 = at our base value; higher = cheaper). A description of reported data and our model — not a quality score or advice.

Fundamentals

Revenue (TTM) Cato Corp
$640M $660M $680M $700M $720M FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q1 FY27 Q2 Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q3: $712.2M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q4: $708.1M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q1: $693.1M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q2: $678.9M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q3: $666.8M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q4: $649.8M Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q1: $642.9M Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q2: $650.8M Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q3: $660.1M Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q4: $653.8M Revenue (TTM), FY27 Q1: $654.7M Revenue (TTM), FY27 Q2: $643.7M $643.7M

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period Revenue (TTM)
FY24 Q3 $712.2M
FY24 Q4 $708.1M
FY25 Q1 $693.1M
FY25 Q2 $678.9M
FY25 Q3 $666.8M
FY25 Q4 $649.8M
FY26 Q1 $642.9M
FY26 Q2 $650.8M
FY26 Q3 $660.1M
FY26 Q4 $653.8M
FY27 Q1 $654.7M
FY27 Q2 $643.7M
Revenue growth, TTM YoY Cato Corp
-10% -5% 0% 5% FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q1 FY27 Q2 Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q3: -5.8% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q4: -6.7% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q1: -6.9% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q2: -7.1% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q3: -6.4% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q4: -8.2% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q1: -7.2% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q2: -4.1% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q3: -1.0% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q4: 0.6% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY27 Q1: 1.8% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY27 Q2: -1.1% -1.1%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period Revenue growth, TTM YoY
FY24 Q3 -5.8%
FY24 Q4 -6.7%
FY25 Q1 -6.9%
FY25 Q2 -7.1%
FY25 Q3 -6.4%
FY25 Q4 -8.2%
FY26 Q1 -7.2%
FY26 Q2 -4.1%
FY26 Q3 -1.0%
FY26 Q4 0.6%
FY27 Q1 1.8%
FY27 Q2 -1.1%
Operating margin (TTM) Cato Corp
-6% -4% -2% 0% FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q1 FY27 Q2 Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q3: -1.5% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q4: -2.5% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q1: -2.6% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q2: -3.2% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q3: -4.2% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q4: -4.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q1: -4.5% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q2: -3.5% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q3: -2.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q4: -1.9% Operating margin (TTM), FY27 Q1: -1.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY27 Q2: -2.1% -2.1%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period Operating margin (TTM)
FY24 Q3 -1.5%
FY24 Q4 -2.5%
FY25 Q1 -2.6%
FY25 Q2 -3.2%
FY25 Q3 -4.2%
FY25 Q4 -4.1%
FY26 Q1 -4.5%
FY26 Q2 -3.5%
FY26 Q3 -2.1%
FY26 Q4 -1.9%
FY27 Q1 -1.1%
FY27 Q2 -2.1%
FCF margin (TTM) Cato Corp
-6% -4% -2% 0% 2% FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q1 FY27 Q2 FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q3: -1.3% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q4: -1.7% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q1: -1.9% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q2: -3.1% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q3: -5.0% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q4: -4.3% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q1: -4.2% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q2: -2.8% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q3: -1.1% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q4: -0.8% FCF margin (TTM), FY27 Q1: -0.2% FCF margin (TTM), FY27 Q2: 0.3% 0.3%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period FCF margin (TTM)
FY24 Q3 -1.3%
FY24 Q4 -1.7%
FY25 Q1 -1.9%
FY25 Q2 -3.1%
FY25 Q3 -5.0%
FY25 Q4 -4.3%
FY26 Q1 -4.2%
FY26 Q2 -2.8%
FY26 Q3 -1.1%
FY26 Q4 -0.8%
FY27 Q1 -0.2%
FY27 Q2 0.3%

Data: SEC EDGAR XBRL company facts (as filed in 10-K/10-Q); forms 10-K, 10-K/A, 10-Q. Generated November 3, 2026. Definitions in our methodology.

Financial statements

US$ millions unless shown otherwise. Fiscal years, plus the last twelve months (LTM) when newer.

Fiscal year 2010 Jan 2010 2011 Jan 2011 2012 Jan 2012 2013 Feb 2013 2014 Feb 2014 2015 Jan 2015 2016 Jan 2016 2017 Jan 2017 2018 Feb 2018 2019 Feb 2019 2020 Feb 2020 2021 Jan 2021 2022 Jan 2022 2023 Jan 2023 2024 Feb 2024 2025 Feb 2025 2026 Jan 2026 LTM Aug 2026
Income
Revenue 884 925 931 944 920 987 1,011 957 850 830 825 575 769 759 708 650 654 644
Gross profit — — — — — — — 355 297 307 316 142 316 250 244 213 222 216
EBITDA — — — — — — — — 36 50 59 −58 51 8 −8 −17 −3 −4
Operating income — — — — — — — — 16 33 43 −73 39 −4 −18 −26 −13 −13
Net income 45 59 65 62 54 61 67 47 9 30 36 −47 37 0 −24 −18 −6 −6
Diluted EPS $1.53 $2.00 $2.21 $2.11 $1.86 $2.15 $2.39 $1.72 $0.34 $1.23 $1.46 −$2.01 $1.65 $0.00 −$1.17 −$0.97 −$0.31 −$0.30
Growth (year on year)
Revenue — +4.6% +0.7% +1.4% −2.5% +7.3% +2.4% −5.4% −11.1% −2.4% −0.5% −30.3% +33.8% −1.3% −6.7% −8.2% +0.6% −1.1%
EBITDA — — — — — — — — — +39.0% +18.5% −199.0% — −85.4% — — — —
Operating income — — — — — — — — — — +30.7% −268.5% — −109.2% — — — —
Net income — +30.8% +10.2% −4.9% −11.9% +11.4% +10.5% −29.4% −81.9% — +17.8% −232.3% — −99.9% — — — —
Diluted EPS — +30.7% +10.5% −4.5% −11.8% +15.6% +11.2% −28.0% −80.2% — +18.7% −237.7% — −100.0% — — — —
Margins
Gross margin — — — — — — — 37.1% 34.9% 37.0% 38.3% 24.7% 41.1% 32.9% 34.4% 32.8% 34.0% 33.6%
EBITDA margin — — — — — — — — 4.2% 6.0% 7.1% −10.1% 6.7% 1.0% −1.1% −2.5% −0.4% −0.6%
Operating margin — — — — — — — — 1.9% 4.0% 5.2% −12.7% 5.1% −0.5% −2.5% −4.1% −1.9% −2.1%
Net margin 5.1% 6.4% 7.0% 6.5% 5.9% 6.1% 6.6% 4.9% 1.0% 3.7% 4.3% −8.3% 4.8% 0.0% −3.4% −2.8% −0.9% −0.9%
Free-cash-flow margin 8.5% 6.5% 4.9% 3.6% 6.7% 9.0% 6.7% 4.7% 2.9% 6.7% 5.5% −7.8% 7.2% −0.8% −1.7% −4.3% −0.8% 0.3%
Cash flow
Cash from operations 85 79 81 79 93 117 94 72 36 60 53 −31 60 13 0 −20 −1 5
Capital spending 10 20 36 45 32 29 27 27 11 4 8 14 4 19 13 8 4 4
Free cash flow 75 60 45 34 61 89 67 45 25 56 45 −45 56 −6 −12 −28 −5 2
Stock-based pay 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 5 5 4 4 3 4 2 2 2
Free cash flow after stock pay 73 58 43 31 58 85 63 41 21 51 40 −49 52 −9 −16 −30 −7 −0
Balance sheet
Cash 50 49 35 31 94 70 67 50 78 25 12 18 20 20 24 20 17 35
Total debt 0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — 0
Net debt (negative = net cash) −50 −49 −35 −31 −94 −70 −67 −50 −78 −25 −12 −18 −20 −20 −24 −20 −17 −35
Diluted shares — 29m 29m 29m 29m 28m 27m 27m 25m 24m 24m 23m 21m 20m 19m 19m 19m 19m
Returned to shareholders
Dividends 19 21 26 87 6 34 34 35 34 33 33 8 10 14 14 11 0 —
Buybacks 0 6 11 0 6 42 6 43 39 13 10 20 22 15 3 4 1 0
Total returned 20 27 36 88 12 76 40 78 73 46 42 28 32 30 17 14 1 0

Source: SEC EDGAR XBRL company facts (US and foreign periodic filings); column headings link to the filing. EBITDA is operating income plus depreciation and amortisation. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending. Growth is left blank when last year's figure was a loss or under 2% of revenue. Share counts and EPS are restated for stock splits. A dash means the company didn't report the figure.

Financial health

1 of 1 checks passed · August 1, 2026
What it owns · $423m
Short-term assets $208mLonger-term assets $215m
What it owes, and who funded it · $321m
Short-term liabilities $153mShareholders' equity $168m
  • Short-term assets cover short-term liabilities $208m of assets due within a year against $153m of liabilities due within a year.
  • Short-term assets cover long-term liabilities Not assessable from the reported split. Not assessable.
  • More cash than debt Cash or debt not separately reported. Not assessable.
  • Debt below 40% of shareholders' equity Equity or debt not reported. Not assessable.
  • Debt burden no higher than five years ago Five-year comparison not available. Not assessable.
  • A year's operating cash flow covers at least 20% of debt Cash flow or debt not reported. Not assessable.
  • Operating profit covers interest at least five times over Interest not separately reported. Not assessable.

From Cato Corp's latest balance sheet as filed. Checks are fixed, documented rules (methodology), counted only where the company reports the figures — a dot means the filing doesn't break the item out. Descriptions of reported data, not advice.

Dividends, buybacks and capital spending

FY2027 Q2 TTM
Buybacks (TTM)
$422,000
Dividends (TTM)
$0
Returned to shareholders
-19%
of free cash flow
Buybacks, last 3 fiscal years
$7.4M
Diluted share count
−0.5%
year over year
Total shareholder yield
1.0%
dividends 0.0% + buybacks 1.0% of market value
Sales & admin spending
34.4%
of revenue

Competitors: side by side with peers

Closest by revenue in apparel retail
Last 12 months unless stated CATO AKA JILL TLYS DLTH CTRN Median
Revenue, last 12 months $644m $604m $588m $583m $551m $870m $1.1bn
Revenue growth, last 12 months −1.1% 0.9% −2.2% 6.1% −8.6% 11.1% 4.2%
Revenue growth, 3-year average −4.1% 2.4% −1.1% −3.2% −5.5% 4.8% 0.9%
Revenue growth, latest quarter −6.2% −0.3% 0.5% 8.1% −7.8% 10.9% 4.4%
Gross margin 33.6% 59.6% 70.0% 32.3% 58.3% 35.5% 40.1%
Operating margin −2.1% −2.5% 8.1% 0.1% 1.7% 0.6% 2.0%
Operating margin, 3-year average −2.9% −6.3% 10.6% −4.6% −2.2% −1.4% 0.2%
Net margin −0.9% −4.4% 4.6% 0.3% 1.1% 0.8% 1.5%
Cash from operations / revenue 0.8% 4.2% 11.1% 2.9% 11.6% 4.0% 4.9%
Free-cash-flow margin 0.3% 1.5% 8.3% 1.9% 10.4% 0.7% 2.9%
Free-cash-flow margin, 3-year average −1.9% 1.4% 7.7% −2.6% 1.8% −0.5% 1.7%
Stock pay / revenue 0.3% 0.9% 1.0% 0.4% 0.5% 0.7% 0.7%
Change in share count −0.5% 1.3% −1.7% 0.7% 4.3% 0.7% −0.3%

Median of all 28 companies we cover in apparel retail. Shaded: best of the six on that line (lowest for stock pay and share-count growth). 3-year figures average the last three 12-month periods; 3-year growth is compound annual. Source: SEC filings.

Peer comparison

28 apparel retail companies
Measure Company Peer median Rank
Revenue growth Growth -1.1% 4.7% 20 of 28
Change in growth rate Growth -2.9pp -0.2pp 27 of 28
Gross margin Profitability 33.6% 40.5% 20 of 26
Operating margin Profitability -2.1% 1.9% 19 of 25
Net margin Profitability -0.9% 1.7% 20 of 28
Free-cash-flow margin Cash generation 0.3% 3.0% 24 of 28
Stock pay as % of revenue Cash generation 0.3% 0.7% 3 of 26
Change in share count Balance sheet -0.5% -0.3% 12 of 27

Rank 1 = best in the group (for spending, debt and dilution, lower ranks first).

Where the revenue comes from

Fiscal year to January 31, 2026
Segments
Line of business Revenue Share YoY
Reportable Segments Retail $651M 99.6% ▲ 0.6%
Reportable Segments Credit $2.7M 0.4% ▼ 1.6%

From Cato Corp's 10-K filed March 25, 2026, as tagged in the filing. View filing. Indented rows are part of the line above; their share is of that line. In the bars, the faint bar behind is the year before.

Who owns it

Funds buying and selling
Reported value
$18.9M
Institutions reporting
42
Shares held vs prior quarter
▼ 3.6%
Positions opened / closed
4 / 5

Top buyers and sellers, Q2 2026: 17 institutions bought and 17 sold ; the biggest buyer was Marquette Asset Management, LLC (+103K shares) and the biggest seller Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (−130K). See which funds bought and sold →

Largest reported holders, June 30, 2026
Manager Value Shares Share of 13F value Shares QoQ
Aldebaran Capital, LLC $3.8M 1.2M 20.0% ▼ 0.6%
Peapod Lane Capital LLC $2.5M 779K 13.3% ▲ 1.6%
Vanguard Capital Management LLC $2.3M 712K 12.2% ▲ 1.1%
Renaissance Technologies LLC $1.8M 562K 9.6% ▲ 2.5%
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP $1.5M 469K 8.0% ▼ 21.7%
Blackrock, Inc. $1.3M 406K 7.0% ▲ 3.8%
Arrowstreet Capital, Limited Partnership $955,492 295K 5.0% 0.0%
Prescott Group Capital Management, L.L.C. $728,245 225K 3.8% 0.0%
Bridgeway Capital Management, LLC $504,763 156K 2.7% ▲ 6.3%
Geode Capital Management, LLC $500,345 154K 2.6% 0.0%
Yacktman Asset Management LP $341,642 105K 1.8% 0.0%
Marquette Asset Management, LLC $334,783 103K 1.8% New

From Form 13F filings with the SEC ( quarterly data sets), as reported by each manager for June 30, 2026 and filed up to 45 days later. 13F reports cover long US-listed positions of managers above $100M only, so this is not Cato Corp's complete shareholder register. Values are as reported by the filers .

Insider trading activity

Full insider history and chart
Insider purchases History → $0 0 trades by 0 insiders, last 12 months Insider sales History → $0 0 trades by 0 insiders
Net ▲ $0 net buying

No open-market insider trades reported in the last 12 months.

From insiders' Form 4 filings with the SEC. Excludes awards, option exercises and shares withheld for tax. "Pre-set plan" means the filing marks the trade as made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan. See every insider trade since five years ago, on a price chart.

Trades by members of Congress

All 2 trades and filings

No trades in Cato Corp disclosed in the last 12 months; 2 earlier trades on record.

  • Greg Gianforte(MT):Sale (full), $1,001 - $15,000, traded December 21, 2018, filed January 23, 2019
  • Greg Gianforte(MT):Purchase, $1,001 - $15,000, traded March 26, 2018, filed April 13, 2018

Value ranges as filed; reports can arrive up to 45 days after a trade.

Earnings dates and SEC filings

Results announcements

Next expected around November 23, 2026 estimated from the company's past filing pattern, not announced

  • August 25, 2026
  • May 26, 2026
  • March 23, 2026
  • November 24, 2025
  • August 26, 2025
  • May 27, 2025

Recent SEC filings

Data status

When each part of this page on Cato Corp was last updated.

DataLast updatedSource
Share priceExchange closing prices
Financial statementsSEC 10-K and 10-Q filings
News and updatesCompany releases and SEC 8-K filings
Analyst estimatesAggregated analyst estimates
Valuation and scoresOur models, from the filed figures

How we build and check these figures: methodology and data sources.

Cato Corp in brief

What does Cato Corp do?
Cato Corp is a US-listed company in the apparel retail industry. Its financial year ends in January.
What is Cato Corp's stock ticker?
Cato Corp trades under the ticker CATO on NYSE. This page brings together its financial statements, valuation models, ownership and recent company updates.
What is Cato Corp's revenue, and how fast is it growing?
Over its most recent trailing twelve months, Cato Corp reported revenue of $644M, 1.1% lower than a year earlier, according to its SEC filings.
What is Cato Corp's free cash flow?
Cato Corp's free-cash-flow margin is 0.3% of revenue over the trailing twelve months, ranking 24 of the 28 apparel retail companies we cover.
Who are Cato Corp's largest institutional shareholders?
By value reported in 13F filings for June 30, 2026, the largest reported holders are Aldebaran Capital, LLC, Peapod Lane Capital LLC and Vanguard Capital Management LLC. 13F reports cover long US-listed positions of managers above $100M, filed up to 45 days after quarter end.
Is Cato Corp buying back stock, and does it pay a dividend?
Cato Corp spent $422,000 on share repurchases over the trailing twelve months, and its diluted share count fell 0.5% over the year.
What is Cato Corp's market cap?
On November 2, 2026, Cato Corp's market capitalisation was about $43.6M and net debt of -$35.1M. Market figures come from third-party market data and may be delayed.
Does Cato Corp pay a dividend?
Cato Corp reported no dividend payments in its trailing twelve months of filings.
Who are Cato Corp's competitors?
In our Apparel Retail peer group, the companies closest to Cato Corp are A.k.a. Brands Holding Corp., J.jill, Inc., Tilly's, Inc., Duluth Holdings Inc. and Citi Trends Inc. The side-by-side comparison below sets their revenue, margins and growth against Cato Corp's.
When is Cato Corp's next earnings date?
Around November 19, 2026, estimated from the spacing of its past results announcements (8-K filings). That is an estimate, not a confirmed date — Cato Corp announces its own schedule.