Cato Corp - Class A CATO Stock Analysis
- NYSE
- Stock
- Market closed · opens Monday 9:30 AM ET
$2.35 down $0.01, 0.42% at close Oct 16
Last close · Previous close $2.36
- Market cap
- At the Oct 16 close
- P/E ratio
- n/mLoss over last 12 months
- Diluted EPS
- −$0.31Last 12 months
- Dividend yield
- NoneLast 12 months
Price chart
$2.35up $0.01, 0.43%Past month
Use the left and right arrow keys to move along the chart.
Price data
Trading
- Previous close$2.36Oct 15
- Volume18.12KOct 16 session
Shares traded on all US exchanges in the last completed session. Live intraday volume covers IEX only, so it is left out.
- Avg. volume54.90KLast 21 sessions
The average daily shares traded over the last 21 trading sessions, about one calendar month.
- 52-week range: $2.29 to $4.59; now $2.35
The lowest and highest trades over the past 52 weeks, adjusted for splits. The marker shows the latest price.
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Performance
Past performance, measured to the Oct 16 close. Total return includes reinvested dividends.Price change only, without dividends. Compared with the S&P 500, using SPY.
CATO trailed the S&P 500 in all 7 periods.
| Period | CATO and S&P 500 | vs S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Short term | ||
| 1M | CATO: up 0.4% S&P 500: up 1.5% | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 1.1 percentage points Trailed |
| 3M | CATO: down 29.6% S&P 500: up 1.9% | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 31.5 percentage points Trailed |
| YTD | CATO: down 23.9% S&P 500: up 12.8% | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 36.7 percentage points Trailed |
| 1Y | CATO: down 39.6% S&P 500: up 16.8% | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 56.4 percentage points Trailed |
| Long term | ||
| 3Y | CATO: down 63.0% S&P 500: up 81.5% −28.2% vs +22.0% a year | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 144.5 percentage points Trailed |
| 5Y | CATO: down 82.2% S&P 500: up 83.1% −29.2% vs +12.9% a year | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 165.3 percentage points Trailed |
| 10Y | CATO: down 86.5% S&P 500: up 319.6% −18.2% vs +15.4% a year | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 406.1 percentage points Trailed |
$10,000 invested in CATO 10 years ago (Oct 14, 2016) would be worth about $1,348 at the close on , with dividends reinvested. The same amount in the S&P 500 would be worth about $41,964.
CATO trailed the S&P 500 in all 7 periods.
| Period | CATO and S&P 500 | vs S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| Short term | ||
| 1M | CATO: up 0.4% S&P 500: up 1.2% | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 0.8 percentage points Trailed |
| 3M | CATO: down 29.6% S&P 500: up 1.7% | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 31.3 percentage points Trailed |
| YTD | CATO: down 23.9% S&P 500: up 11.9% | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 35.8 percentage points Trailed |
| 1Y | CATO: down 39.6% S&P 500: up 15.5% | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 55.1 percentage points Trailed |
| Long term | ||
| 3Y | CATO: down 67.2% S&P 500: up 75.0% −31.1% vs +20.5% a year | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 142.2 percentage points Trailed |
| 5Y | CATO: down 86.2% S&P 500: up 71.2% −32.7% vs +11.4% a year | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 157.4 percentage points Trailed |
| 10Y | CATO: down 92.2% S&P 500: up 258.1% −22.5% vs +13.6% a year | CATO trailed the S&P 500 by 350.3 percentage points Trailed |
$10,000 invested in CATO 10 years ago (Oct 14, 2016) would be worth about $777 at the close on , not counting dividends. The same amount in the S&P 500 would be worth about $35,813.
All-time high
$44.61
Closing high on . Now 94.7% below that record.
Split-adjusted daily closes since Apr 23, 1987.
Stock splits
2
Latest: 3-for-2 on . One share bought before the first split is 2 shares today.
Both splits
- 3-for-2
- 3-for-2
Valuation
Financials
Reported results, not forecasts. From company filings via Tiingo; the latest report is Q2 FY26, the quarter ended Aug 1, 2026. “Last 12 months” means the four quarters from Aug 3, 2025 to Aug 1, 2026, and balance-sheet figures are as of Aug 1, 2026.
Revenue and net income
Last 12 months, with the change from the 12 months before
- Revenue
- $643.67Mdown 1.1%
- Net income
- −$5.59M
- Diluted EPS
- −$0.31
Data table
| Period | Revenue | Net income | Diluted EPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 FY24 (Nov 2, 2024) | $146.17M | −$15.07M | −$0.79 |
| Q4 FY24 (Feb 1, 2025) | $157.91M | −$14.05M | −$0.73 |
| Q1 FY25 (May 3, 2025) | $170.24M | $3.31M | $0.17 |
| Q2 FY25 (Aug 2, 2025) | $176.51M | $6.83M | $0.35 |
| Q3 FY25 (Nov 1, 2025) | $155.40M | −$5.19M | −$0.28 |
| Q4 FY25 (Jan 31, 2026) | $151.66M | −$10.86M | −$0.56 |
| Q1 FY26 (May 2, 2026) | $171.10M | $9.31M | $0.47 |
| Q2 FY26 (Aug 1, 2026) | $165.50M | $1.15M | $0.06 |
| Period | Revenue | Net income | Diluted EPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY21 (Jan 29, 2022) | $769.27M | $36.84M | $1.65 |
| FY22 (Jan 28, 2023) | $759.26M | $29.00K | Not reported |
| FY23 (Feb 3, 2024) | $708.06M | −$23.94M | −$1.17 |
| FY24 (Feb 1, 2025) | $649.81M | −$18.06M | −$0.97 |
| FY25 (Jan 31, 2026) | $653.81M | −$5.91M | −$0.31 |
Margins
- Gross 33.6%
- Operating −2.3%
- Net −0.9%
The percentages above the chart cover the last 12 months; the lines show each quarter. What margins tell you
Cash flow
- $1.63MLast 12 months
Cash from operations minus capital spending: the cash left after the business maintains and grows its assets.
FCF = Operating cash flow − Capital spendingFree cash flow - Operating cash flow$5.44MLast 12 months
- Capital spending$3.81MLast 12 months
- 0.3%Last 12 months
Free cash flow as a share of revenue, both over the last 12 months.
Shareholder returns
- $267.00KLast 12 months
Cash spent repurchasing shares, net of shares issued. Buybacks shrink the share count, so each remaining share owns more of the company.
- Dividends paid$0.00Last 12 months
- Total returned$267.00KLast 12 months
16% of free cash flow
Balance sheet
- $96.44MAs of Aug 1, 2026
Cash plus short- and long-term marketable securities on the Aug 1, 2026 balance sheet.
- Total debt$138.63MAs of Aug 1, 2026
- Net debt$42.19MAs of Aug 1, 2026
- 1.36As of Aug 1, 2026
Current assets divided by current liabilities on the Aug 1, 2026 balance sheet. Above 1 means short-term assets cover the bills due within a year.
Current ratio = Current assets ÷ Current liabilitiesCurrent ratio - 0.83As of Aug 1, 2026
Total debt divided by shareholders’ equity on the Aug 1, 2026 balance sheet: a measure of financial leverage.
D/E = Total debt ÷ Shareholders’ equityDebt-to-equity ratio
Financial strength
- 6 of 9Last 12 months
vs the 12 beforeA 0–9 checklist from accounting professor Joseph Piotroski. Each test compares the last 12 months with the 12 months before and scores a point if it passes. 8–9 is strong; 0–2 is weak.
- ✗Net income was positive: not passed
- ✓Operating cash flow was positive: passed
- ✓Return on assets improved: passed
- ✓Operating cash flow exceeded net income: passed
- ✗Long-term debt fell relative to assets: not passed
- ✓Current ratio improved: passed
- ✗Share count didn’t rise: not passed
- ✓Gross margin improved: passed
- ✓Asset turnover (revenue ÷ assets) improved: passed
- −3.4%Last 12 months
Over the last 12 months, Cato lost money: its net loss was 3.4% of its shareholders’ equity (averaged over the last four quarter-ends). It describes the past year, not an expected return.
ROE = Net income (last 12 months) ÷ Average equityReturn on equity - −1.3%Last 12 months
Over the last 12 months, Cato’s net loss was 1.3% of its total assets (averaged over the last four quarter-ends).
ROA = Net income (last 12 months) ÷ Average total assets
Dividends
Cash dividends per share by ex-dividend year, adjusted for splits.
Dividends per share
Data table
| Year | Per share |
|---|---|
| 2016 | $1.29 |
| 2017 | $1.32 |
| 2018 | $1.32 |
| 2019 | $1.32 |
| 2020 | $0.33 |
| 2021 | $0.45 |
| 2022 | $0.68 |
| 2023 | $0.68 |
| 2024 | $0.51 |
| 2025 | $0.000 |
| 2026 (to date) | $0.000 |
Dividend details
- $0.00Per share, last 12 months
Cash dividends per share with ex-dividend dates in the last 12 months.
- Dividend yield0.00%Last 12 months
- $0.17Ex-dividend
The most recent payment per share. Shares bought on or after the ex-dividend date don’t receive it.
About Cato Corp - Class A
The Cato Corporation (Cato) is a women's fashion specialty retailer. As of January 28, 2012, the Company operated 1,288 fashion specialty stores in 31 states, principally in the southeastern United States, under the names Cato, Cato Fashions, Cato Plus, It's Fashion, It's Fashion Metro and Versona Accessories. It operates in two segments: stores and Credit. The Company's stores offer a assortment of on-trend apparel and accessory items in primarily junior/missy, plus sizes, girls sizes 7 to 16, men's and kids sizes newborn to seven. Its merchandise lines include dressy, career, and casual sportswear, dresses, coats, shoes, lingerie, costume jewelry, handbags, men's wear and lines for kids and newborns. Its merchandise is sold under its private label and is produced by various vendors in accordance with the Company's specifications.
- Sector
- Consumer Cyclical
- Industry
- Apparel Retail
- Headquarters
- North Carolina, USA
- SEC filings
- EDGAR (opens in a new tab)
- Exchange
- NYSE
- Asset type
- Common stock
- Price history since
CATO news
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CATO stock FAQ
What is CATO stock’s price today?
Cato (CATO) traded at $2.35 at the close on , down $0.01 (0.42%) from the previous close of $2.36. Over the past 52 weeks it has traded between $2.29 and $4.59.
If you invested $1,000 in CATO 10 years ago, how much would you have now?
With dividends reinvested, $1,000 invested in CATO on would be worth about $135 at the close on , a total return of −86.5%. The same $1,000 would be worth $178 if invested five years ago, $604 if invested one year ago, $257 if invested 20 years ago, and $2,182 if invested 30 years ago. Past performance doesn’t predict future returns.
What is CATO’s P/E ratio?
CATO’s P/E ratio isn’t meaningful right now because its earnings over the four quarters to are negative (diluted EPS of −$0.31).
How much revenue does Cato make?
Cato reported $643.7 million of revenue over the four quarters to , down 1.1% from the twelve months before. In its latest quarter (Q2 FY26, ended ) revenue was $165.5 million, down 6.2% from a year earlier.
Is Cato profitable?
Not over the four quarters to . Cato reported a net loss of $5.6 million across those four quarters on $643.7 million of revenue.
What are CATO’s earnings per share?
CATO’s diluted earnings per share were −$0.31 over the four quarters to , compared with −$1.00 in the twelve months before. The latest quarter (Q2 FY26) brought $0.06 per share, against $0.35 a year earlier (how EPS works).
Does CATO pay a dividend?
Cato hasn’t paid a dividend in the last twelve months.
What is CATO’s 52-week high and low?
Over the past 52 weeks CATO has traded as low as $2.29 and as high as $4.59. At $2.35 at the close on , it is 48.8% below that high and 2.5% above the low.
What is CATO’s all-time high?
CATO’s highest closing price was $44.61 on , adjusted for stock splits. At $2.35 at the close on , it is 94.7% below that record.
Has CATO stock ever split?
Yes, twice: 3-for-2 on ; 3-for-2 on . One share bought before the first split would be 2 shares today.
How has CATO stock performed?
Including dividends and measured to the close on , CATO has returned −23.9% so far this year and −39.6% over the past year, and −82.2% over five years (−29.2% a year). Over the same periods the S&P 500, measured by SPY, returned +12.8%, +16.8% and +83.1%. Past performance doesn’t predict future returns.
What sector and industry is Cato in?
Cato is in the Consumer Cyclical sector and the Apparel Retail industry, and is headquartered in North Carolina, USA.
What exchange does CATO trade on?
Cato trades on the NYSE under the ticker symbol CATO. Its price history on this dashboard begins on .
Member SIPC.Low CommissionsLearn More (opens in a new tab)Sponsored. Affiliate link: I may earn a commission. The inclusion of Interactive Brokers’ (IBKR) name, logo or weblink is present pursuant to an advertising arrangement only. IBKR is not a contributor, reviewer, provider or sponsor of content published on this site, and is not responsible for the accuracy of any products or services discussed.
About this data. Data sourced by Tiingo (opens in a new tab). The live price is Tiingo’s real-time price, based on IEX trades and quotes; intraday charts show IEX trades, and volume figures are consolidated totals for completed sessions. Prices are split-adjusted, and total returns assume dividends are reinvested. Financials come from company filings and can lag new reports. Times are Eastern.
This page is for education, not investment advice. Past performance doesn't predict future returns. Logos provided by Logo.dev (opens in a new tab).
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