Cato Corp/The (CATO)
NYSEConsumer DiscretionaryApparel - RetailSnapshot 2026-11-04
$2.37+1.72%
Close 2026-11-04 · 1-day change
NYSEConsumer DiscretionaryApparel - RetailSnapshot 2026-11-04
Research Workspace
Put CATO beside peers and holdings, graph the same metric, and keep your notes with the evidence.
Daily closes. Earnings/event dots are placed inline.
Industries move in repeating boom-and-bust cycles. This shows where this stock’s industry sits in that cycle, stage by stage (recovery → expansion → supercycle → steady → deceleration → contraction), from its fundamentals (orders, revenue, capital spending), not the stock’s price.
A booming industry is a tailwind for the names in it; a contracting one is a headwind. Companies in the same industry tend to rise and fall together with the cycle, the way a tide lifts and lowers every boat in the harbor at once, so a large part of a stock’s swing can come from where its industry sits rather than from the company itself. It’s context for reading the company’s results, not a buy/sell call. Full explanation →
Apparel Retail is in recovery. Describes the industry's cycle state, not a call on this stock.
The stage band shows the industry’s cycle over the chart’s timeline (each color a stage); a ▼ marks a quarter its growth inflected down — amber is an unconfirmed watch, red is confirmed the next quarter. Use “Overlay cycle on chart” to tint the price chart by stage. The industry’s fundamentals, not a signal on this stock.
The reason to own it still holds.
View ThesisMiddle-of-the-pack management execution.
View ManagementExpectations look reasonable — what the market is pricing in sits in line with or below what analysts forecast.
View ValuationThis stock is volatile — it swings about 2% on a typical day and fell roughly 40% in its worst 12-month stretch.
View RiskCATO's store closures must lift profits to justify the price. Revenue fell 6% in the last quarter. The stock trades at 0.1x sales. Peers trade at 0.3x sales. The price reflects less growth than we forecast. Earnings quality is fragile. Profits are not backed by cash. Peer multiples imply a price about 73% above where it trades. Our read remains intact. This read is provisional.
Trailing returns as of 2026-11-04. CATO is total return (includes dividends); the S&P 500 benchmark is price return (the index excludes dividends).
Continue this research
Compare CATO with peers and holdings, graph the same reported metric, keep your questions beside the evidence, and return when the facts change.
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| Compare | Company | Living FV | P/E | Revenue % | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CATO Selected company | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Peer Add a competitor | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review | |
| Holding Compare a holding | Graph | Compare | Trend | Review |
Selected metric trend
Quarterly · checked companies · value or % of revenue
A consensus fair price across 3 valuation methods, at three horizons. As of 2026-11-04. Estimates are diagnostics, not price targets. Short-horizon estimates are close to coin-flips, so confidence is a method-agreement read, not a prediction.
Today's peer multiple on trailing earnings, with no growth credited. This is the headline read.
Adds projected growth, so it leans optimistic by design. Read it as upside context, not a base case.
A price-focused, side-by-side fair-value read versus Apparel Retail — fair value, gap to price, and forward P/E.
Compare the value case
Put CATO next to peers and holdings, compare Living FV and multiples, then graph the driver behind the difference.
Advances: Close underperforming stores to improve profitability
Closing underperforming stores improves profitability.
Not investment advice. Scores describe historical and current data; they are not forecasts of future returns. Consult a licensed advisor before making investment decisions.
End-of-day figures as of 2026-11-04. EPS is implied from price ÷ P/E. Not investment advice.
A long-thesis check that carries the widest uncertainty of the three horizons.
Above average on quality vs scored peers
Direction of the business behind the multiple. Bands are backend reads; trailing-12-month basis.
TTM earnings are negative. P/E-based methods drop out and the estimate leans on sales- and cash-flow-based methods. A data condition, not a forward call.
Advances: Close underperforming stores to improve profitability
Closing underperforming stores improves profitability.
Threatens: Close underperforming stores to improve profitability
Store closures directly impact profitability and growth objectives.
Threatens: Address economic uncertainties impacting sales
Store closures indicate economic uncertainties impacting sales.
Threatens: Address economic uncertainties impacting sales
Store closures indicate economic uncertainties affecting sales.
Threatens: Address economic uncertainties impacting sales
Store closures indicate economic uncertainties affecting sales.
Threatens: Address economic uncertainties impacting sales
Lower consumer spending impacts sales growth objective.
Threatens: Address economic uncertainties impacting sales
Store closures indicate economic uncertainties impacting sales.