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Kohl's Corporation (KSS)
NYSE:KSS
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Kohl's (KSS) AI Stock Analysis

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KSS

Kohl's

(NYSE:KSS)

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Neutral 64 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:64Neutral
Price Target:
$19.00
▲(30.85% Upside)
Action:Reiterated
Date:07/02/26
KSS scores in the mid-range primarily because strong cash flow and improving liquidity are offset by severe revenue contraction and above-average leverage. Technicals add support as the stock is trading above key moving averages with positive momentum. Valuation is a notable positive (low P/E with a dividend), while earnings-call guidance and recent corporate actions are constructive but still tempered by ongoing comp declines, a recent quarterly loss, and cost/margin headwinds.
Positive Factors
Strong cash generation and free cash flow
Sustained operating cash flow (~$1.4B TTM) and robust free cash flow (~$1.29B) create durable financial optionality. This supports reinvestment in private brands, steady dividend payouts, opportunistic debt repurchases and capacity to fund omnichannel initiatives despite cyclical sales pressure.
Negative Factors
Severe revenue contraction
A multi-year, steep revenue decline (~-42.5% TTM) erodes scale economics and bargaining power with vendors. Shrinking top line makes it harder to cover fixed costs, limits reinvestment capacity, and raises the bar for returning to prior margin and ROE levels even if cash flow improves.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Strong cash generation and free cash flow
Sustained operating cash flow (~$1.4B TTM) and robust free cash flow (~$1.29B) create durable financial optionality. This supports reinvestment in private brands, steady dividend payouts, opportunistic debt repurchases and capacity to fund omnichannel initiatives despite cyclical sales pressure.
Read all positive factors

Kohl's Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Any
Any
Store Count
Store Count
Indicates the total number of retail locations, reflecting the company's physical presence and potential reach to customers, which can impact sales and brand visibility.
Chart InsightsA small, discrete drop in store count in 2025 reads like targeted portfolio pruning—not a broad retreat—and fits management’s focus on SG&A cuts, lower store costs and stronger cash/deleveraging. Expect this to marginally improve productivity and inventory freshness (helping margins), but it won’t cure Kohl’s top‑line issues: management’s guidance and commentary make clear recovery rests on driving transactions, digital conversion and product/seasons execution, not footprint reduction alone.
Data provided by:The Fly

Kohl's (KSS) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Kohl's Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description
Kohl's Corporation functions as a prominent retail chain operating throughout the United States. It provides customers with a wide array of branded merchandise, including clothing, shoes, fashion accessories, beauty supplies, and home decor, which...
How the Company Makes Money
Kohl's primarily makes money by selling merchandise to consumers through its physical stores and its website/mobile channels. Revenue is driven by retail sales across key product categories (apparel and footwear; accessories; beauty; and home). Th...

Kohl's Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:May 28, 2026
(Q1-2026)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Aug 13, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call presented a mix of constructive operational progress and remaining near‑term challenges. Positives include stabilization of the core Kohl's card customer (flat comps, ~600 bps improvement vs. Q4), strong private‑brand performance (+6% comps) and spring seasonal strength (mid‑teens), digital growth (+4%), meaningful balance sheet improvement (cash up, ABL cleared) and inventory/turn improvements (~8% lower inventory and turns +8%). Headwinds remain: Q1 produced a small net loss (‑$14M), overall comps still declined (‑1.1%), store transactions are down, Sephora/makeup and certain categories (men's, footwear) underperformed, and margin pressure from increased digital/shipping and embedded fuel costs is expected. Management reaffirmed full‑year guidance and outlined a clear plan (assortment curation, proprietary brand investment, omnichannel/trip assurance, marketplace expansion), so while near‑term sales and margin pressure persist, the directional operational and financial improvements give the company a cautiously optimistic outlook.
Positive Updates
Best Quarterly Comparable Sales in Over Four Years
Comparable sales declined 1.1% but management noted this was the best quarterly performance in over four years; net sales declined 1.7% (difference driven by closed-store timing).
Negative Updates
Sales Decline and Transaction Weakness
Net sales declined 1.7% and comparable sales declined 1.1%, with the primary driver a decrease in transactions. The stores channel underperformed, running down low single digits.
Read all updates
Q1-2026 Updates
Negative
Best Quarterly Comparable Sales in Over Four Years
Comparable sales declined 1.1% but management noted this was the best quarterly performance in over four years; net sales declined 1.7% (difference driven by closed-store timing).
Read all positive updates
Company Guidance
Kohl’s reaffirmed its FY26 guidance with comparable sales to be down 2% to flat vs. 2025, operating margin targeted at 2.8%–3.4% and diluted EPS of $1.00–$1.60; full‑year capital expenditures are expected to be $350–$400M, inventory down low‑ to middle‑single‑digits, and fuel costs are embedded at current rates. Management expects roughly $900M of operating cash flow and about $500–$600M of free cash flow (guidance excludes any AFA tariff refunds — the company submitted $140M of claims and is eligible for $190M), and will prioritize investing in the business, the $0.125 quarterly dividend (Q2), opportunistic debt repurchases and potential future buybacks. For context, Q1 results (which drove the reaffirmation) included net sales -1.7% and comps -1.1% (would have been -0.6% including marketplace GMV), proprietary brands +6%, spring seasonal up mid‑teens, digital +4% while stores were down low‑single‑digits, cash of $429M with no ABL borrowings (vs. $153M cash and $545M ABL borrowings LY, >$800M net cash improvement), inventory -8% with receipts +1% and an 8% turn improvement, SG&A down ~$20M, depreciation $174M, interest $63M, tax rate 15% and a Q1 net loss of $14M (loss per diluted share $0.13).

Kohl's Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Financials are mixed. The income statement is weak (Income Statement Score 46) due to a sharp TTM revenue decline (~-42.5%) despite profitability stabilizing (TTM net margin ~1.7%, operating margin ~4.0%). The balance sheet is only serviceable (Balance Sheet Score 55) with elevated leverage (~1.6x debt/equity). The key strength is cash generation (Cash Flow Score 72) with strong operating cash flow (~$1.4B) and robust free cash flow (~$1.29B), improving liquidity and flexibility.
Income Statement
46
Neutral
Balance Sheet
55
Neutral
Cash Flow
72
Positive
BreakdownTTMJan 2026Jan 2025Jan 2024Jan 2023Jan 2022
Income Statement
Total Revenue15.46B15.53B16.22B17.48B18.10B19.43B
Gross Profit6.09B6.30B6.56B6.98B6.64B8.00B
EBITDA1.31B1.32B1.18B1.47B1.05B2.32B
Net Income272.00M272.00M109.00M317.00M-19.00M938.00M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets13.16B13.36B13.56B14.01B14.35B15.05B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments429.00M674.00M134.00M183.00M153.00M1.59B
Total Debt6.53B6.63B7.16B7.38B7.57B6.79B
Total Liabilities9.14B9.31B9.76B10.12B10.58B10.39B
Stockholders Equity4.02B4.05B3.80B3.89B3.76B4.66B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow1.21B1.10B182.00M591.00M-544.00M1.67B
Operating Cash Flow1.40B1.48B648.00M1.17B282.00M2.27B
Investing Cash Flow-309.00M-333.00M-467.00M-562.00M-783.00M-570.00M
Financing Cash Flow-813.00M-603.00M-230.00M-576.00M-933.00M-2.38B

Kohl's Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Positive
Last Price14.52
Price Trends
50DMA
15.19
Positive
100DMA
14.97
Positive
200DMA
16.58
Positive
Market Momentum
MACD
1.04
Positive
RSI
58.58
Neutral
STOCH
52.55
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For KSS, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 14.52 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 17.38, below the 50-day MA of 15.19, and below the 200-day MA of 16.58, indicating a bullish trend. The MACD of 1.04 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 58.58 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 52.55 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for KSS.

Kohl's Risk Analysis

Kohl's disclosed 23 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. Kohl's reported the most risks in the "Ability to Sell" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

Kohl's Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
75
Outperform
$8.55B13.0133.85%3.99%0.62%16.26%
70
Outperform
$6.12B9.4114.44%3.23%-0.35%25.21%
66
Neutral
$2.92B37.318.78%1.97%15.48%-54.34%
64
Neutral
$2.06B7.456.83%2.33%-3.80%122.79%
61
Neutral
$18.38B12.79-2.54%3.03%1.52%-15.83%
* Consumer Cyclical Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
KSS
Kohl's
18.19
9.44
107.96%
DDS
Dillard's
547.21
111.67
25.64%
M
Macy's
23.25
11.26
93.83%
SHOO
Steven Madden
39.92
15.47
63.29%

Kohl's Corporate Events

Business Operations and StrategyPrivate Placements and Financing
Kohl’s Extends Revolving Credit Facility, Enhances Liquidity
Positive
Jul 1, 2026
On June 30, 2026, Kohl’s Corporation entered into a second amendment to its revolving credit facility with Wells Fargo Bank and other lenders, extending the facility’s maturity date by five years to June 30, 2031 and adjusting pricing ...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board Changes
Kohl’s Names Elliott Rodgers as New Chief Operating Officer
Positive
Jun 15, 2026
Kohl’s announced on June 15, 2026 that retail veteran Elliott Rodgers has been appointed Chief Operating Officer, effective September 9, 2026, reporting to CEO Michael J. Bender. He will oversee enterprise operations, including nearly 1,200 ...
Business Operations and StrategyDividendsFinancial Disclosures
Kohl’s Affirms 2026 Outlook After Q1 Sales Dip
Neutral
May 28, 2026
Kohl’s Corp. is a leading U.S. omnichannel retailer focused on family apparel, home goods and related merchandise, operating more than 1,100 stores in 49 states as well as e-commerce channels including Kohls.com and the Kohl’s app. The...
Executive/Board ChangesShareholder Meetings
Kohl’s Shareholders Back Board Slate and Executive Pay
Positive
May 22, 2026
At its annual meeting held on May 20, 2026, Kohl’s shareholders elected eight board nominees to one-year terms, confirming the company’s existing board slate despite varying levels of support among individual directors. Investors also ...
DividendsRegulatory Filings and ComplianceShareholder Meetings
Kohl’s Declares Quarterly Dividend, Highlights Shareholder Focus
Positive
May 20, 2026
On May 20, 2026, Kohl’s Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.125 per share on its common stock, continuing its practice of returning capital to shareholders. The dividend will be paid on June 24, 2026, to inves...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Jul 02, 2026