The Cato (CATO) AI Stock Analysis

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The Cato

(NYSE:CATO)

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Rating:43Neutral

Price Target:$2.50▲(5.49% Upside)

Action:reiterated

Date:09/18/26

The score is primarily weighed down by weak financial performance (recent losses and volatile/declining sales) and bearish technical trends (price below major moving averages with negative MACD). Positive TTM operating/free cash flow and moderate leverage provide some support, but negative earnings make valuation signals less reliable, and the accelerated store-closure plan underscores ongoing operating pressure despite potential longer-term cost benefits.

Positive Factors

Positive cash generationPositive TTM operating and free cash flow shows the retailer can currently convert operations into cash despite its net loss. If sustained, this provides internal funding for inventory, stores and restructuring, while reducing dependence on external financing during the next several quarters.

Negative Factors

Declining and volatile revenueA sustained decline in revenue indicates weakening customer demand and reduces the scale available to absorb store, labor and logistics expenses. Continued volatility also makes merchandising and inventory planning less predictable, limiting visibility into a durable recovery in sales.

The Cato (CATO) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

Market Cap: $43.01M
Dividend Yield: ―
Average Volume (3M): 100.75K
Price to Earnings (P/E): -7.9
Beta (1Y): 0.88
Revenue Growth: -1.10%
EPS Growth: 70.99%
Country: US
Employees: 6,700
Sector: General
Sector Strength: 55
Industry: Apparel - Retail

The Cato Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

The Cato Corporation, encompassing its subsidiary entities, operates as a specialized vendor of fashionable clothing and accompanying accessories, with its primary market centered in the southeastern region of the United States. Its business model is...

How the Company Makes Money

Cato generates revenue primarily from retail sales of apparel and fashion accessories to consumers through (1) its physical store base and (2) its online sales channel. Its core revenue stream is merchandise sales, which are driven by customer traffi...

The Cato Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Financial performance is pressured by weak profitability and declining/volatile revenue, with recent operating losses and a slightly negative TTM net margin (~-0.9%). The balance sheet remains supported by positive equity and moderate leverage (TTM debt-to-equity ~0.83), and TTM cash flow has improved to positive operating cash flow (~$5.4M) and positive free cash flow (~$1.6M), but cash generation has been inconsistent and earnings are still not sustainably profitable.

Income Statement

38Negative

Balance Sheet

55Neutral

Cash Flow

46Neutral

Financial statement breakdown
Breakdown	TTM	Jan 2026	Jan 2025	Jan 2024	Jan 2023	Jan 2022
Income Statement
Total Revenue	643.67M	653.81M	649.81M	708.06M	759.26M	769.27M
Gross Profit	207.00M	212.28M	203.55M	233.88M	238.52M	303.85M
EBITDA	-38.00K	2.49M	-6.24M	-3.90M	12.94M	51.39M
Net Income	-5.59M	-5.91M	-18.61M	-22.59M	41.00K	34.91M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	423.44M	421.42M	452.36M	486.82M	553.14M	633.77M
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	96.44M	76.32M	77.70M	102.95M	128.66M	165.76M
Total Debt	138.63M	150.45M	145.90M	153.12M	174.77M	184.33M
Total Liabilities	255.53M	264.11M	290.06M	294.50M	326.55M	379.57M
Stockholders Equity	167.91M	157.31M	162.30M	192.32M	226.59M	254.20M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	1.63M	-5.22M	-27.62M	-12.05M	-6.06M	55.68M
Operating Cash Flow	5.44M	-1.46M	-19.75M	477.00K	13.37M	59.79M
Investing Cash Flow	-4.28M	-1.30M	28.96M	19.78M	16.02M	-25.33M
Financing Cash Flow	-267.00K	-851.00K	-14.05M	-16.13M	-29.28M	-31.80M

The Cato Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis SentimentPositive

Last Price2.37

Price Trends

50DMA2.43Negative

100DMA2.85Negative

200DMA2.93Negative

Market Momentum

MACD-0.03Negative

RSI48.05Neutral

STOCH41.72Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For CATO, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 2.37 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 2.35, below the 50-day MA of 2.43, and below the 200-day MA of 2.93, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of -0.03 indicates Negative momentum. The RSI at 48.05 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 41.72 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for CATO.

The Cato Risk Analysis

The Cato disclosed 28 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. The Cato reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.

Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy

Latest Risks Added

1 New Risk

1.The outbreak of COVID-19 has and will adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.Q3, 2020

The Cato Peers Comparison

Overall Rating

UnderperformOutperform

Sector (55)

Financial Indicators

CATO against its peers
Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
AEO	72Outperform	$3.27B	10.68	20.04%	2.34%	8.21%	89.24%
JILL	67Neutral	$334.57M	12.99	21.10%	1.48%	-2.25%	-24.65%
Sector *	55Neutral	$6.65B	3.83	-15.92%	6.20%	10.91%	7.18%
TLYS	52Neutral	$132.44M	61.83	2.37%	―	6.07%	―
LVLU	48Neutral	$32.19M	-3.67	-903.25%	―	-10.40%	83.52%
CATO	43Neutral	$46.39M	-7.90	-3.39%	―	-1.10%	70.99%
CURV	42Neutral	$238.33M	-29.09	4.27%	―	-11.16%	-384.28%

* General Sector Average

Performance Comparison

CATO and its peers over the selected period
Ticker	Company Name	Price	Change	% Change
CATO	Cato Corporation	2.37	-1.41	-37.30%
AEO	American Eagle Outfitters	21.36	5.18	32.04%
TLYS	Tilly's	4.39	2.97	209.15%
JILL	J.Jill, Inc.	23.65	9.27	64.52%
CURV	Torrid Holdings, Inc.	2.63	1.45	122.88%
LVLU	Lulu's Fashion Lounge Holdings, Inc.	10.80	6.40	145.45%

The Cato Corporate Events

Business Operations and Strategy

The Cato to Close 70 More Underperforming Stores

Negative

Sep 18, 2026

On September 18, 2026, The Cato Corporation announced plans to close about 70 additional underperforming stores in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 2026, bringing total planned closures for the year to roughly 120 locations. Management cited s...

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: Sep 18, 2026

The Cato AI Stock Analysis