What is The Cato Corporation's (CATO) StockRank?

MoatMap's StockRank for The Cato Corporation (CATO) is 23/100, with a Sell signal. This is a composite score combining Quality (33), Value (43), and Momentum (33) factor ranks across MoatMap's universe of 25,000+ stocks.

Does The Cato Corporation have an economic moat?

The Cato Corporation (CATO) has a Quality factor score of 33/100. The Quality factor combines ROIC, Piotroski F-Score, and leverage: the financial fingerprints of a durable competitive advantage. A Quality score above 70 typically indicates a company with the financial characteristics of a moated business.

Is The Cato Corporation a buy, hold, or sell?

MoatMap's current signal for The Cato Corporation (CATO) is Sell, based on a StockRank of 23/100. Signals are derived mechanically from the StockRank composite and should be one input among many; combine with your own thesis on management, competitive position, and valuation.

What sector is The Cato Corporation in?

The Cato Corporation (CATO) operates in the Consumer Cyclical sector, specifically the Apparel Retail industry (United States).

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CATO

SellSinker

The Cato Corporation · Consumer Cyclical · United States · $53M · Avg Vol: $377K/d

StockRank

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P/E (TTM)

—

ROE

-3.3%

D/E

0.8x

Dividend %

—

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

The Cato Corporation is a specialty retailer of fashion apparel and accessories operating primarily in the southeastern United States under the Cato, Versona, and It's Fashion concepts. The company targets value-conscious female consumers in niche, rural, and suburban markets where competition from major department stores is limited. Its competitive advantage lies in its debt-free balance sheet, low-cost real estate strategy, and highly efficient, centralized distribution model.

FINANCIAL SUMMARY (USD)

Year	2023	2024	2025	2026	CAGR	TTM
Revenue	759.3M	708.1M	649.8M	653.8M	-4.9%	643.7M
EPS	0.00	-1.17	-0.97	-0.31	—	-0.29
Shares	20.5M	20.6M	20.1M	19.7M	-3.6%	18.1M
Debt	174.8M	153.1M	145.9M	150.4M	-4.9%	138.6M
Equity	226.6M	192.3M	162.3M	157.3M	-11.5%	—
Op CF	13.4M	0.5M	-19.7M	-1.5M	-96.4%	5.4M
Inv CF	16.0M	19.8M	29.0M	-1.3M	—	—
Fin CF	-29.3M	-16.1M	-14.1M	-0.9M	—	—

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PRICE (1Y)-27.3%

SMA 50SMA 200

$2.42

RSI (14)

1.6

52W High

$4.73

From 52W High

0.5%

SCORE BREAKDOWN

Quality

ROIC

-0.7%13.1

ROE

-3.3%13.9

GP/Assets

51.1%80.2

Op. Margin

-0.6%14.9

FCF/Assets

-0.3%19.7

Piotroski

654.2

Int. Cover

-50.0x0.7

D/E Ratio

0.83x30.7

Current Ratio

1.36x40.6

Value

P/E (TTM)

—N/A

EV/EBITDA

-17.3x25.0

P/FCF

—N/A

P/B

0.3x96.5

P/S

0.1x98.3

Div Yield

—N/A

Momentum

52W High %

51%14.1

RS 6M

-31%21.2

SMA 50/200

1.01x57.0

EPS Rev 4W

0.0%24.0

EPS Rev 12W

0.0%42.1

EPS Improve

+548%96.0

Q Growth

-83%2.7

FUNDAMENTALS

Market Cap

$53M

P/E (Forward)

2.0x

Gross Margin

33.4%

SECTOR PEERS

Closest peers in Consumer Cyclical, ranked by industry match, size, and score similarity. Cross-listings of CATO are excluded.

Ticker	Company	Mkt Cap	StockRank	Signal
CATO	The Cato Corporation(you)	$53M	23	Sell
BIRD	Smartbird, Inc	$57M	19	Strong Sell
AKA	a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp.	$117M	29	Sell
TLYS	Tilly's, Inc.	$121M	37	Hold
RENT	Rent the Runway, Inc.	$121M	7	Strong Sell
SFIX	Stitch Fix, Inc.	$420M	16	Strong Sell
CURV	Torrid Holdings Inc.	$227M	49	Hold
ZUMZ	Zumiez Inc.	$307M	44	Hold
REF	Reformation Inc.	$886M	15	Strong Sell
SHOE	Shoe Station Group Inc.	$372M	58	Hold

Peer medians: ROE 8.4% · P/E 19.7x · Gross margin 36.7%

The Cato Corporation (CATO): Stock Score Summary

The Cato Corporation (CATO) has a MoatMap StockRank of 23/100 based on Quality (33/100), Value (43/100), and Momentum (33/100) factor scores. The current signal is SELL.

Key Financial Metrics

Price	$2.42
Market Cap	$53M
P/E (Forward)	2.00
Price/Book	0.29
Return on Equity	-3.3%
Return on Invested Capital	-0.7%
Debt/Equity	0.83x
Gross Margin	33.4%
Operating Margin	-0.6%
Revenue Growth	-6.2%
Free Cash Flow	$-1M

The Cato Corporation operates in the Apparel Retail industry, part of the Consumer Cyclical sector (United States).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Cato Corporation’s (CATO) StockRank?: MoatMap’s StockRank for The Cato Corporation (CATO) is 23/100, with a Sell signal. It is a composite of Quality (33), Value (43), and Momentum (33) factor ranks across MoatMap’s universe of 25,000+ stocks.
Does The Cato Corporation have an economic moat?: The Cato Corporation (CATO) has a Quality factor score of 33/100. The Quality factor combines ROIC, Piotroski F-Score, and leverage: the financial fingerprints of a durable competitive advantage. A Quality score above 70 typically indicates a company with the characteristics of a moated business.
Is The Cato Corporation a buy, hold, or sell?: MoatMap’s current signal for The Cato Corporation (CATO) is Sell, based on a StockRank of 23/100. Signals are derived mechanically from the StockRank composite and should be one input among many; combine with your own thesis on management, competitive position, and valuation.
What sector is The Cato Corporation in?: The Cato Corporation (CATO) operates in the Consumer Cyclical sector, specifically the Apparel Retail industry (United States).