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Carters Inc (CRI) stock

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NYSE: CRI NYSE Apparel & other finishd prods of fabrics & similar matl Next results ~January 18, 2027

B Fundamentals grade

Carters Inc is a US-listed company in the apparel & other finishd prods of fabrics & similar matl industry. Its financial year ends in December.

Stock price today

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Third-party market data · may be delayed

Fair value per share

~$110

Cash-flow model

Base case. Range ~$83–$150 across our lower- and higher-growth cases (-2.6%–7.4% a year).

Price vs value

Undervalued

The price is below our entire value range; our base value is 252% above it.

Price used: $31.66, November 2, 2026

Who’s trading

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

  • Funds145 adding, 128 cuttingOf 55 active managers that changed their stake, 34 added; quarter to June 30, 2026Fund buyers and sellers

Value diary

Our note on each quarter Carters files

Where Carters stands after its latest 10-Q

Revenue for the twelve months to October 2026 was $2.97bn, up 5.0% on a year earlier, about the same pace as a quarter earlier. Free-cash-flow margin rose to 10.7% from 3.2% a year earlier. Operating margin widened to 10.4% from 5.0%. Against its peers on growth, profitability, cash generation and balance sheet, it grades B. It passes 5 of our 7 financial-health checks. Our cash-flow model value is $115 a share, against a share price of $31.54.

Source: 10-Q filed October 30, 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 ~January 18, 2027 (estimated)

Carters Inc's trailing-twelve-month revenue grew 5.0% year on year, with a free-cash-flow margin of 10.7%.

Our discounted-cash-flow model values the business at ~$110 per share in the base case (~$83–$150 across growth scenarios) — model values under stated assumptions, not a price target.

Current signal Free cash flow diverging from earnings: TTM free cash flow grew 247.7% while net income grew 147.1%: a 101pp divergence.

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

Strengths

  • Priced below our value. The share price of $31.66 is 252% below our value per share of $110.
  • Margins widening. Operating margin is up 5.4 points on a year ago.
  • Beating expectations. Earnings per share beat the analysts' consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters.

Things to watch

  • Volatile shares. Over the past year the shares showed annualised volatility of 49% and a beta of 1.0 against the S&P 500.
  • Heavily shorted. 22.5% of the shares available to trade are sold short (4.8 days of average volume to cover).
  • Estimates being cut. Analysts' consensus for next year's earnings per share has fallen 5.4% over 90 days.

Latest results: FY2026 Q3

Filed October 30, 2026
Earnings per share
$1.03 against an average estimate of $0.85: beat by 20.9%
Revenue
$752m, down 0.7% on a year earlier
Share reaction
-5.2% in the first session after the results on October 30, 2026, against -2.2% for the S&P 500
Next report
October 30, 2026; average EPS estimate $1.66

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

Price chart

  • 1 day+0.4%
  • 1 week-0.5%
  • 1 month+0.2%
  • This year-0.2%
  • 1 year+3.9%
  • 5 years-62.5%
  • 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)
$3B
Operating margin
10.4%
Net margin
7.4%
EPS (TTM, diluted)
$6.19

Growth

Revenue growth
+5.0%
Change in growth rate
−0.2 pts
Share count change
+0.5%

Cash

Free cash flow (TTM)
$320M
FCF margin
10.7%
Stock pay % of revenue
0.4%

Earnings

Last results
October 30, 2026
Next results (est.)
January 18, 2027

News & updates

Updated November 1, 2026

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

  1. Results
  2. Announcement
  3. Announcement
  4. 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.

What the price is pricing in

The share price implies cash flow shrinking about 19.0% a year for five years.That is slower than the -3.1% a year revenue growth Carters has delivered.

Read with care: free cash flow has swung sharply in the past year (often a one-off tax, legal or working-capital item), so the cash-flow base behind this reading may be unusually low or high.

  • Priced in-19.0%
  • Last 12 months5.0%
  • 3 years a year-0.3%
  • 5 years a year-3.1%

Our cash-flow model with every input fixed except growth over the next five years, solved for the growth at which the model value equals the share price ($31.76, Nov 3, 2026). Cash-flow growth then fades to 2.5% a year; discount rate 8.5%. Delivered figures are revenue growth from SEC filings. This is a model exercise, not investment advice or a forecast of the share price. All companies

Fundamentalytics rating

model v1.6 · 2026-11-03
Buy12-month view
12-month price target
~$110
Price used
$31.76close November 3, 2026
Implied change
▲ +251%
Uncertainty
Medium

How we got here: a discounted-cash-flow model of Carters Inc's free cash flow after stock-based pay with after-tax interest added back ($248M, FY2026 Q3 TTM), growing 1.3% and 2.1% in the next two years (forecasts, guidance and its record), then back to 2.4% by year five, and fading to 2.5%, discounted at 8.5%. Lower and higher growth cases span ~$83–~$150 ; that spread sets a 25% margin before we rate Buy or Sell.

Produced by Fundamentalytics' automated valuation model on November 3, 2026, using delayed market prices. Rating meanings, methodology and conflicts: recommendations disclosure and research disclaimer. General research, not personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances. Prices can fall as well as rise.

Our value per share comes from a discounted-cash-flow model of Carters Inc's free cash flow after stock-based pay ( $248M, FY2026 Q3 TTM, with after-tax interest added back): growth for five years as below (the first two years from forecasts, guidance and the company's record), fading to 2.5%, discounted at 8.5%, then cash added and debt and other claims subtracted. These are model values under stated assumptions, not price targets or recommendations.

Valuation models

We value Carters Inc as an operating company, with every model that fits that kind of business. Cost of equity 8.5%: the 10-year Treasury yield (4.9%) plus a beta of 0.79 times a 4.5% equity risk premium.

Value per share by model
Model Value per share In the combined value?
Cash-flow model (DCF) Free cash flow to the firm (after stock pay, with after-tax interest added back), grown then faded to 2.5%, discounted at 8.5% as the firm rate, less debt and other claims. ~$110 ~$83–$150 Primary model, counts double
Forward price-to-earnings vs peers Next year's consensus earnings per share times peers' typical (harmonic-mean) forward price-to-earnings. Uses analysts' consensus estimates (third-party data), not our forecasts. ~$46 ~$34–$74 Included
Residual income Book value plus the present value of returns above the cost of equity, fading over ten years. ~$100 ~$75–$140 Included
Justified price-to-book Book value times (return on equity - growth) / (cost of equity - growth): steady-state returns. ~$100 ~$88–$130 Included
Combined value Weighted average of the models that apply: the primary model (cash-flow model (dcf)) 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. ~$95 ~$46–$110 4 models

Different models fail in different ways, so where several apply we average them rather than trust one. Peer-based models compare Carters Inc with Consumer Discretionary sector 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.

What moves the value

  • Revenue growth 5 points lower ▼ −25%
  • Revenue growth 5 points higher ▲ +33%
  • Free-cash-flow margin 1 point lower ▼ −8%
  • Last year's free-cash-flow margin change, if it persists ▲ more than doubles
  • Discount rate 1 point higher ▼ −15%
Value per share under different assumptions
Discount rate ↓ / growth → −5% growth0% growth5% growth10% growth15% growth20% growth
7% $96$131$178$238$318$420
8.5% $74$99$132$176$232$305
10% $60$79$105$138$181$237

Valuation multiples over time Market data may be delayed

Carters Inc: market value and multiples by fiscal year
At fiscal year end 20152016201720182019202020212022202320242025Now
Share price$66.90$65.80$91.00$64.22$88.58$76.20$83.10$63.62$66.72$50.91$32.49$31.66
Market value$3.5bn$3.3bn$4.4bn$3.0bn$4.0bn$3.3bn$3.6bn$2.5bn$2.4bn$1.8bn$1.2bn$1.1bn
+ Net debt (− = net cash)$198m$281m$439m$423m$380m−$113m$7m$405m$149m$162m$88m$117m
Enterprise value$3.7bn$3.6bn$4.8bn$3.4bn$4.3bn$3.2bn$3.6bn$2.9bn$2.6bn$2.0bn$1.2bn$1.2bn
Multiples
Price / sales 1.2x1.0x1.3x0.9x1.1x1.1x1.0x0.8x0.8x0.6x0.4x0.4x
Price / earnings 14.7x12.9x14.5x10.6x15.0x30.1x10.5x9.9x10.5x9.7x12.5x5.1x
Price / free cash flow 17.1x11.8x16.8x10.2x12.2x6.0x15.5x51.5x5.2x7.5x16.8x3.5x
EV / EBITDA 8.1x7.2x9.6x7.2x9.4x11.4x6.1x6.5x6.7x6.4x6.3x3.4x

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

69 /100

Moderate moat

How hard Carters'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 15 / 20

    Net income has been a median 9.3% of total assets over 10 years.

  • Pricing power 16 / 20

    Gross margin has been a median 46.3%, moving by 2.4 percentage points (standard deviation) across 10 years.

  • Durability 9 / 20

    Operating margin has been a median 10.8%; its worst year was 5.0%.

  • Cash conversion 15 / 20

    Free cash flow was positive in 10 of 10 years, at a median 9.4% of revenue.

  • Discipline 20 / 20

    The diluted share count fell 18.4% 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 (74 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

Analysts' consensus

Carters Inc: consensus estimates
Fiscal yearEPSGrowthRevenueGrowth
Current $3.17 −9% $3.0bn +2%
Next $3.46 +9% $3.0bn +1%

Next year's EPS estimate has moved −5.4% in 90 days, across 7 analysts.

How the EPS forecast has moved

The consensus EPS forecast for the current fiscal year is −3.0% on 90 days ago. In the last 30 days, 4 analysts raised Carters Inc's forecast and 2 cut it.

Consensus EPS forecast Carters Inc, last 90 days
$3.00 $3.20 $3.40 $3.60 $3.80 90 days ago 60 days ago 30 days ago 7 days ago Now Current fiscal year, 90 days ago: $3.26 Current fiscal year, 60 days ago: $3.26 Current fiscal year, 30 days ago: $3.27 Current fiscal year, 7 days ago: $3.18 Current fiscal year, Now: $3.17 $3.17 Next fiscal year, 90 days ago: $3.65 Next fiscal year, 60 days ago: $3.64 Next fiscal year, 30 days ago: $3.69 Next fiscal year, 7 days ago: $3.47 Next fiscal year, Now: $3.46 $3.46

Average of analysts' published estimates (third-party data).

View chart data
Period Current fiscal yearNext fiscal year
90 days ago $3.26$3.65
60 days ago $3.26$3.64
30 days ago $3.27$3.69
7 days ago $3.18$3.47
Now $3.17$3.46

Earnings against estimates

Carters Inc: reported EPS against the consensus estimate
Quarter toEstimateActualSurprise
Sept 2026 $0.85 $1.03 +20.9%
Jun 2026 $0.06 $0.26 +320.6%
Mar 2026 $0.13 $0.39 +210.4%
Dec 2025 $1.70 $1.90 +11.5%

Adjusted EPS as companies report it, against the average analyst estimate.

Management guidance

Earnings release, October 30, 2026

No numeric guidance in Carters Inc's latest earnings release (filed October 30, 2026). Some companies give their outlook only on the earnings call.

How earlier guidance turned out

  • net sales, third quarter of fiscal 2026 guided about $750m Within range: $752m

How our valuation uses these forecasts

Our cash-flow model grows Carters Inc's revenue by +1.3% next year and +2.1% the year after, then fades back toward its own record by year five. Next year's rate weighs analysts' consensus (+0.7%, weight 66%) and the company's own record (+2.4%, weight 34%) . How the weights are set.

Analyst recommendations

7 analysts, Oct 2026
Buy229%
Hold457%
Sell114%

Monthly trend

  1. Oct 20262417
  2. Sep 20263418
  3. Aug 20262417
  4. Jul 20262417

Counts of recommendations published by analysts covering Carters Inc, by month. Source: Aggregated broker recommendations (third-party data). Aggregated counts only: we do not reproduce any firm's recommendation or price target, and these are not Fundamentalytics ratings.

Positioning

Short interest
22.5%
of tradable shares
Days to cover
4.76
at average volume
Short interest, 1 month
+18%
to October 15, 2026
Held by institutions
—
of shares
Held by insiders
4.8%
of shares
Employees
15,400
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 +3.9%

$30.47 on October 31, 2025 to $31.66

Carters Inc: share-price change split into its parts
PartThenNowEffect
Revenue (last 12 months) $2.8bn $3.0bn +5.2%
Net margin 4.8% 6.5% +36.6%
P/E multiple 7.9x 5.8x −27.3%
Share count 35m 35m −0.5%

Biggest factor: p/e multiple.

Last 3 years −48.9%

$61.97 on November 3, 2023 to $31.66

Carters Inc: share-price change split into its parts
PartThenNowEffect
Revenue (last 12 months) $3.0bn $3.0bn −1.6%
Net margin 6.8% 6.5% −3.3%
P/E multiple 11.3x 5.8x −49.1%
Share count 37m 35m +5.4%

Biggest factor: p/e multiple.

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

Carters Inc: yearly return, monthly win rate and worst fall against the S&P 500
Calendar year 202120222023202420252026 to date
Return
CRI+9%−23%+5%−24%−37%−0%
Industry peers (median)——————
S&P 500+29%−18%+26%+25%+18%+11%
Months that ended higher
CRI58%42%42%50%42%64%
S&P 50075%42%67%75%75%46%
Largest fall from a high during the year
CRI−21%−37%−26%−41%−56%−33%
S&P 500−5%−25%−10%−8%−19%−9%

Worst fall since November 2, 2015: 76% from February 26, 2018 to August 1, 2025. Getting back needed a 318% gain, and the shares have not yet recovered.

Price behaviour

52-week range
$27.70 – $43.42
From 52-week high
−27.1%
vs 50-day average
−0.6%
vs 200-day average
−11.7%
Volatility (1 year)
49%
Beta vs S&P 500
1.00

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
4 up, 8 down
typical move ±9.7%
After a week
3 up, 8 down
typical move ±10.6%
After a month
4 up, 7 down
typical move ±13.7%
Carters Inc: share-price change after each results release
Results releasedNext dayS&P 500 next day5 days21 days
October 30, 2026 −5.2% −2.2% — —
July 31, 2026 +5.6% +2.2% +5.7% −14.3%
May 6, 2026 +7.2% +1.1% +0.2% +15.3%
May 1, 2026 −8.2% −0.1% −2.2% +10.9%
February 27, 2026 −16.9% −0.4% −19.4% −16.9%
January 9, 2026 +2.9% +0.8% +4.6% +9.6%
October 27, 2025 −2.6% +1.4% −6.1% −2.8%
July 25, 2025 −19.0% +0.4% −27.8% −18.6%
April 25, 2025 −13.9% +0.8% −8.6% −15.1%
February 25, 2025 −18.7% −0.4% −21.5% −18.3%
October 25, 2024 −14.2% +0.3% −17.8% −14.6%
July 26, 2024 +1.4% +1.2% −2.4% +14.0%

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.

Options strategies

All options ideas

How Carters Inc’s listed options are priced, and three ways to use them that follow from our valuation. Quotes are delayed, read November 2, 2026. Check the live chain at your broker before trading.

Cash-secured put

Not offered: fundamentals grade B (needs B+ or better).

We suggest selling a put only on well-rated companies, at a strike where the price you would pay if assigned (strike less premium) is at or below our fair value.

Covered call

Not offered: no liquid call at or above our price target — the model says the upside is worth more than any listed strike.

For holders: sell a call at a strike at or above our fair value, so the shares are only sold at a price the model calls full value.

Collar

Not offered: the shares trade below our fair value: a collar caps upside the model expects.

For holders of a stock trading at or above our fair value: buy a put for a floor and sell a call to pay for it.

General research, not personal advice. Options can lose you more than you expect and are not suitable for everyone: put sellers can be made to buy shares that keep falling, call sellers give up gains above the strike, and results or news can move prices sharply. Chances shown are approximations from each option’s delta. Spreads, fees and early assignment are not modelled.

Carters Inc in five measures

Fundamentals grade B
Growth Profitability Cash Balance sheet Value

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) Carters Inc
$2.8B $2.9B $2.9B $3B $3B FY23 Q4 FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q3 Revenue (TTM), FY23 Q4: $2.9B Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q1: $2.9B Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q2: $2.9B Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q3: $2.8B Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q4: $2.8B Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q1: $2.8B Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q2: $2.8B Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q3: $2.8B Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q4: $2.9B Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q1: $2.9B Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q2: $3B Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q3: $3B $3B

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved November 3, 2026.

View chart data
Period Revenue (TTM)
FY23 Q4 $2.9B
FY24 Q1 $2.9B
FY24 Q2 $2.9B
FY24 Q3 $2.8B
FY24 Q4 $2.8B
FY25 Q1 $2.8B
FY25 Q2 $2.8B
FY25 Q3 $2.8B
FY25 Q4 $2.9B
FY26 Q1 $2.9B
FY26 Q2 $3B
FY26 Q3 $3B
Revenue growth, TTM YoY Carters Inc
-10% -5% 0% 5% 10% FY23 Q4 FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q3 Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY23 Q4: -8.3% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q1: -6.9% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q2: -5.0% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q3: -5.3% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q4: -3.4% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q1: -3.4% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q2: -1.5% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q3: -0.3% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q4: 1.9% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q1: 4.9% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q2: 5.2% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q3: 5.0% 5.0%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved November 3, 2026.

View chart data
Period Revenue growth, TTM YoY
FY23 Q4 -8.3%
FY24 Q1 -6.9%
FY24 Q2 -5.0%
FY24 Q3 -5.3%
FY24 Q4 -3.4%
FY25 Q1 -3.4%
FY25 Q2 -1.5%
FY25 Q3 -0.3%
FY25 Q4 1.9%
FY26 Q1 4.9%
FY26 Q2 5.2%
FY26 Q3 5.0%
Operating margin (TTM) Carters Inc
4% 6% 8% 10% 12% FY23 Q4 FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q3 Operating margin (TTM), FY23 Q4: 11.0% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q1: 11.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q2: 11.3% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q3: 10.8% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q4: 9.0% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q1: 8.0% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q2: 6.7% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q3: 5.0% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q4: 5.0% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q1: 5.0% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q2: 9.5% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q3: 10.4% 10.4%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved November 3, 2026.

View chart data
Period Operating margin (TTM)
FY23 Q4 11.0%
FY24 Q1 11.1%
FY24 Q2 11.3%
FY24 Q3 10.8%
FY24 Q4 9.0%
FY25 Q1 8.0%
FY25 Q2 6.7%
FY25 Q3 5.0%
FY25 Q4 5.0%
FY26 Q1 5.0%
FY26 Q2 9.5%
FY26 Q3 10.4%
FCF margin (TTM) Carters Inc
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% FY23 Q4 FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q3 FCF margin (TTM), FY23 Q4: 15.9% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q1: 13.9% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q2: 12.3% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q3: 9.8% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q4: 8.5% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q1: 7.9% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q2: 5.0% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q3: 3.2% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q4: 2.4% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q1: 4.3% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q2: 9.8% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q3: 10.7% 10.7%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved November 3, 2026.

View chart data
Period FCF margin (TTM)
FY23 Q4 15.9%
FY24 Q1 13.9%
FY24 Q2 12.3%
FY24 Q3 9.8%
FY24 Q4 8.5%
FY25 Q1 7.9%
FY25 Q2 5.0%
FY25 Q3 3.2%
FY25 Q4 2.4%
FY26 Q1 4.3%
FY26 Q2 9.8%
FY26 Q3 10.7%

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.

Carters Inc: annual financial statements
Fiscal year 2009 Jan 2010 2010 Jan 2011 2011 Dec 2011 2012 Dec 2012 2013 Dec 2013 2014 Jan 2015 2015 Jan 2016 2016 Dec 2016 2017 Dec 2017 2018 Dec 2018 2019 Dec 2019 2020 Jan 2021 2021 Jan 2022 2022 Dec 2022 2023 Dec 2023 2024 Dec 2024 2025 Jan 2026 LTM Oct 2026
Income
Revenue 1,590 1,749 2,110 2,382 2,639 2,894 3,014 3,199 3,401 3,462 3,519 3,024 3,486 3,213 2,946 2,844 2,898 2,975
Gross profit 604 675 692 938 1,095 1,184 1,258 1,379 1,483 1,497 1,509 1,313 1,662 1,472 1,396 1,365 1,315 1,461
EBITDA 228 275 220 302 319 392 455 497 501 477 464 280 587 441 384 309 195 361
Operating income 196 243 187 262 264 333 393 426 420 391 372 190 497 379 323 255 144 309
Net income 116 146 114 161 160 195 238 258 303 282 264 110 340 250 233 186 92 220
Diluted EPS $1.97 $2.46 $1.94 $2.69 $2.75 $3.62 $4.50 $5.08 $6.24 $6.00 $5.85 $2.50 $7.81 $6.34 $6.24 $5.12 $2.53 $6.19
Growth (year on year)
Revenue +6.4% +10.0% +20.6% +12.9% +10.8% +9.7% +4.1% +6.1% +6.3% +1.8% +1.6% −14.1% +15.3% −7.9% −8.3% −3.4% +1.9% +5.0%
EBITDA +33.9% +20.7% −19.9% +37.1% +5.7% +22.8% +16.1% +9.4% +0.8% −4.8% −2.8% −39.6% +109.7% −25.0% −12.9% −19.5% −36.7% +84.7%
Operating income +39.7% +24.4% −22.9% +39.8% +0.8% +26.2% +17.9% +8.4% −1.5% −6.7% −5.0% −48.9% +161.8% −23.7% −14.7% −21.2% −43.5% +116.7%
Net income +48.4% +26.7% −22.2% +41.3% −0.5% +21.4% +22.2% +8.4% +17.5% −6.9% −6.5% −58.4% +209.7% −26.4% −7.0% −20.2% −50.5% +147.1%
Diluted EPS +48.1% +24.9% −21.1% +38.7% +2.2% +31.6% +24.3% +12.9% +22.8% −3.8% −2.5% −57.3% +212.4% −18.8% −1.6% −17.9% −50.6% +145.7%
Margins
Gross margin 38.0% 38.6% 32.8% 39.4% 41.5% 40.9% 41.7% 43.1% 43.6% 43.3% 42.9% 43.4% 47.7% 45.8% 47.4% 48.0% 45.4% 49.1%
EBITDA margin 14.3% 15.7% 10.4% 12.7% 12.1% 13.5% 15.1% 15.6% 14.7% 13.8% 13.2% 9.3% 16.8% 13.7% 13.0% 10.9% 6.7% 12.1%
Operating margin 12.3% 13.9% 8.9% 11.0% 10.0% 11.5% 13.0% 13.3% 12.3% 11.3% 10.6% 6.3% 14.3% 11.8% 11.0% 9.0% 5.0% 10.4%
Net margin 7.3% 8.4% 5.4% 6.8% 6.1% 6.7% 7.9% 8.1% 8.9% 8.1% 7.5% 3.6% 9.7% 7.8% 7.9% 6.5% 3.2% 7.4%
Free-cash-flow margin 14.0% 2.6% 1.7% 8.2% 1.0% 6.2% 6.8% 8.8% 7.7% 8.4% 9.3% 18.4% 6.6% 1.5% 15.9% 8.5% 2.4% 10.7%
Cash flow
Cash from operations 189 86 81 279 210 282 308 369 330 356 387 588 268 88 529 299 122 360
Capital spending −34 40 45 83 183 103 103 89 69 64 61 33 37 40 60 56 54 41
Free cash flow 222 46 36 195 27 179 204 281 260 292 326 556 231 48 469 243 69 320
Stock-based pay 7 7 10 13 16 18 17 17 18 15 17 13 21 22 19 18 20 13
Free cash flow after stock pay 216 39 26 182 11 161 187 264 243 278 309 543 210 26 450 225 48 307
Balance sheet
Cash 335 247 233 382 287 341 381 299 178 170 214 1,102 984 212 351 413 487 451
Total debt 335 236 236 186 586 586 579 580 617 593 595 990 991 617 500 575 575 568
Net debt (negative = net cash) −1 −11 3 −196 299 245 198 281 439 423 380 −113 7 405 149 162 88 117
Diluted shares 58m 59m 58m 59m 58m 53m 52m 50m 48m 47m 45m 43m 43m 39m 37m 36m 35m 36m
Returned to shareholders
Dividends — — 0 0 28 40 46 66 71 84 90 26 60 118 112 116 56 37
Buybacks 0 50 0 0 454 82 110 300 189 193 197 45 299 300 100 51 0 —
Total returned 0 50 0 0 482 123 156 367 260 277 287 72 359 418 212 167 56 37

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

5 of 7 checks passed · October 3, 2026
What it owns · $2.7bn
Short-term assets $1.4bnLonger-term assets $1.3bn
What it owes, and who funded it · $2.7bn
Short-term liabilities $510mLonger-term liabilities $1.1bnShareholders' equity $1.1bn
  • Short-term assets cover short-term liabilities $1.4bn of assets due within a year against $510m of liabilities due within a year.
  • Short-term assets cover long-term liabilities $1.4bn short-term assets against $1.1bn of longer-dated liabilities.
  • More cash than debt $451m of cash against $568m of debt.
  • Debt below 40% of shareholders' equity Debt is 54% of equity.
  • Debt burden no higher than five years ago Debt to equity moved from 54% to 54% over five years.
  • A year's operating cash flow covers at least 20% of debt $360m of operating cash flow against $568m of debt.
  • Operating profit covers interest at least five times over Operating income of $309m against $46m of interest.

From Carters Inc'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

FY2025 Q4 TTM
Buybacks (TTM)
$0
Dividends (TTM)
$36.6M
Returned to shareholders
82%
of free cash flow
Buybacks, last 3 fiscal years
$151M
Diluted share count
+0.5%
year over year
Total shareholder yield
3.1%
dividends 3.1% + buybacks 0.0% of market value
Dividend payout ratio
17%
of net income paid out
Sales & admin spending
39.3%
of revenue

Competitors: side by side with peers

Closest by revenue in consumer discretionary
Growth, margins and cash generation against peers
Last 12 months unless stated CRI MNSO IBP BALY CHDN TAL Median
Revenue, last 12 months $3.0bn $3.0bn $3.0bn $3.0bn $3.0bn $3.0bn $1.4bn
Revenue growth, last 12 months 5.0% 26.3% 0.3% 0.1% 4.2% 33.7% 4.2%
Revenue growth, 3-year average −0.3% — 2.4% 14.6% 8.1% 112.4% 2.4%
Revenue growth, latest quarter −0.7% — 2.3% 20.5% 1.9% — 3.6%
Gross margin 49.1% 45.0% 33.6% — — 55.4% 37.5%
Operating margin 10.4% 15.4% 12.4% −7.3% 25.5% 9.2% 4.2%
Operating margin, 3-year average 8.7% — 12.8% −7.3% 25.0% 2.4% 4.5%
Net margin 7.4% 5.6% 8.5% −25.8% 15.1% 17.6% 2.4%
Cash from operations / revenue 12.1% 12.0% 12.1% −11.4% 25.2% 20.0% 7.8%
Free-cash-flow margin 10.7% 6.4% 9.8% −18.0% 20.1% 16.9% 4.1%
Free-cash-flow margin, 3-year average 7.9% — 9.8% −8.9% 15.7% 7.4% 4.1%
Stock pay / revenue 0.4% 1.7% 0.7% 1.0% 1.0% 1.4% 0.8%
Change in share count 0.5% −1.1% −2.9% −9.2% −3.9% −6.0% 0.0%

Median of all 454 companies we cover in consumer discretionary. 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

454 consumer discretionary companies
Measures ranked against peers
Measure Company Peer median Rank
Revenue growth Growth 5.0% 4.3% 210 of 452
Change in growth rate Growth -0.2pp -0.0pp 233 of 452
Gross margin Profitability 49.1% 37.1% 101 of 355
Operating margin Profitability 10.4% 4.1% 111 of 415
Net margin Profitability 7.4% 2.5% 122 of 454
Free-cash-flow margin Cash generation 10.7% 4.1% 91 of 449
Stock pay as % of revenue Cash generation 0.4% 0.8% 86 of 403
Long-term debt as % of assets Balance sheet 21.3% 18.2% 177 of 317
Change in share count Balance sheet 0.5% 0.0% 241 of 408

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

Where the revenue comes from

Fiscal year to January 3, 2026
Segments
Line of business Revenue YoY
Retail $1.5B ▲ 3.5%
Wholesale $1B ▼ 2.0%
International $431M ▲ 6.3%
International $431M ▲ 6.3%

These categories overlap or exclude eliminations, so shares aren't shown.

Products and services
Line of business Revenue Share YoY
Baby $1.3B 43.5% ▲ 10.7%
Playclothes $915M 31.6% ▼ 3.6%
Other Products $372M 12.8% ▼ 3.0%
Sleepwear $352M 12.1% ▼ 5.8%

From Carters Inc's 10-K filed February 27, 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.

Reported value
$1.6B
Institutions reporting
286
Shares held vs prior quarter
▼ 3.6%
Positions opened / closed
48 / 36

Top buyers and sellers, Q2 2026: 145 institutions bought and 128 sold ; the biggest buyer was Ameriprise Financial Inc (+618K shares) and the biggest seller Balyasny Asset Management L.P (−1.1M). See which funds bought and sold →

Largest reported holders, June 30, 2026
Manager Value Shares Share of 13F value Shares QoQ
Blackrock, Inc. $240M 5.8M 14.9% ▲ 6.4%
Vanguard Portfolio Management LLC $118M 2.9M 7.3% ▲ 12.4%
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP $78.4M 1.9M 4.9% ▲ 7.9%
Allianz Asset Management Gmbh $77.8M 1.9M 4.8% ▲ 3.9%
Vanguard Capital Management LLC $64.4M 1.6M 4.0% ▲ 2.1%
State Street Corp $61.6M 1.5M 3.8% ▼ 0.9%
Rwwm, Inc. $59.4M 1.4M 3.7% ▼ 38.4%
American Century Companies Inc $55.8M 1.4M 3.5% ▼ 1.8%
Ameriprise Financial Inc $51M 1.2M 3.2% ▲ 99.4%
Goldman Sachs Group Inc $42.8M 1.0M 2.7% ▲ 10.6%
Citadel Advisors LLC $41.1M 997K 2.5% ▲ 80.9%
Geode Capital Management, LLC $38.4M 934K 2.4% ▲ 5.6%

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 Carters Inc's complete shareholder register. Values are as reported by the filers .

Insider trading activity

Full insider history and chart

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 Carters Inc disclosed in the last 12 months; 2 earlier trades on record.

  • Gilbert Ray Cisneros, Jr.(D-CA 39):Sale (full), $15,001 - $50,000, traded April 2, 2019, filed April 16, 2019
  • K. Michael Conaway(TX):Sale (full), $1,001 - $15,000, traded September 12, 2016, filed October 12, 2016

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

Earnings dates and SEC filings

Results announcements

Next expected around January 18, 2027 estimated from the company's past filing pattern, not announced

  • October 30, 2026
  • July 31, 2026
  • May 6, 2026
  • May 1, 2026
  • February 27, 2026
  • January 9, 2026

Recent SEC filings

Data status

When each part of this page on Carters Inc 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.

Carters Inc in brief

What does Carters Inc do?
Carters Inc is a US-listed company in the apparel & other finishd prods of fabrics & similar matl industry. Its financial year ends in December.
What is Carters Inc's stock ticker?
Carters Inc trades under the ticker CRI on NYSE. This page brings together its financial statements, valuation models, ownership and recent company updates.
What is Carters Inc's revenue, and how fast is it growing?
Over its most recent trailing twelve months, Carters Inc reported revenue of $3B, 5.0% higher than a year earlier, according to its SEC filings.
What is Carters Inc's free cash flow?
Carters Inc's free-cash-flow margin is 10.7% of revenue over the trailing twelve months, ranking 91 of the 449 consumer discretionary companies we cover.
What is Carters Inc's fair value (intrinsic value) per share?
Our discounted-cash-flow model of Carters Inc's free cash flow after stock-based pay gives ~$110 per share in the base case, and ~$83–$150 across growth scenarios. These are model values under stated assumptions — not a price target or a recommendation.
Who are Carters Inc's largest institutional shareholders?
By value reported in 13F filings for June 30, 2026, the largest reported holders are Blackrock, Inc., Vanguard Portfolio Management LLC and Dimensional Fund Advisors LP. 13F reports cover long US-listed positions of managers above $100M, filed up to 45 days after quarter end.
Is Carters Inc buying back stock, and does it pay a dividend?
Carters Inc spent $0 on share repurchases over the trailing twelve months, and its diluted share count still rose 0.5% over the year.
What is Carters Inc's market cap?
On November 2, 2026, Carters Inc's market capitalisation was about $1.1B, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.1 and net debt of $117M. Market figures come from third-party market data and may be delayed.
Does Carters Inc pay a dividend?
Yes: Carters Inc paid $36.6M in dividends over the trailing twelve months, a dividend yield of 3.15% and a payout ratio of 16.6%.
How much debt does Carters Inc have?
Carters Inc's debt-to-equity ratio is 53.9%, from its latest balance sheet (54.2% five years earlier). The financial health section below sets out its other solvency checks.
Who are Carters Inc's competitors?
In our Consumer Discretionary peer group, the companies closest to Carters Inc are Miniso Group Holding Ltd, Installed Building Products, Inc., Bally's Corp, Churchill Downs Inc and TAL Education Group. The side-by-side comparison below sets their revenue, margins and growth against Carters Inc's.
When is Carters Inc's next earnings date?
Around January 18, 2027, estimated from the spacing of its past results announcements (8-K filings). That is an estimate, not a confirmed date — Carters Inc announces its own schedule.