The Cato Corporation (CATO) Financial Ratios
30 years of historical data (1995–2024) · Consumer Cyclical · Apparel - Retail
EV/EBITDA
↑
N/A
—
5yr avg: 27.40
30Y Low5.0·High44.6
P/FCF
N/A
—
5yr avg: 6.26
30Y Low6.3·High36.4
P/B Ratio
↓
0.34
↓-61% vs avg
5yr avg: 0.87
30Y Low0.4·High3.1
ROE
↑
-10.5%
↑-124% vs avg
5yr avg: -4.7%
30Y Low-16%·High20%
Debt/EBITDA
↑
N/A
—
5yr avg: 12.87
30Y Low0.3·High22.1
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
CATO Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
The Cato Corporation currently has a negative P/E ratio, indicating the company is operating at a loss on a trailing-twelve-month basis.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $52M | $64M | $131M | $198M | $349M | $256M | $381M | $368M | $298M | $697M | $1.1B |
| Enterprise Value | $177M | $190M | $260M | $353M | $513M | $445M | $579M | $343M | $220M | $650M | $1.1B |
| P/E Ratio → | -2.97 | — | — | 6626.67 | 10.01 | — | 10.99 | 12.07 | 34.94 | 14.76 | 16.87 |
| P/S Ratio | 0.08 | 0.10 | 0.19 | 0.26 | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.46 | 0.44 | 0.35 | 0.73 | 1.12 |
| P/B Ratio | 0.34 | 0.40 | 0.68 | 0.87 | 1.37 | 1.04 | 1.20 | 1.16 | 0.91 | 1.82 | 2.73 |
| P/FCF | — | — | — | — | 6.26 | — | 8.44 | 6.58 | 11.99 | 15.55 | 16.75 |
| P/OCF | — | — | 274.79 | 14.82 | 5.83 | — | 7.13 | 6.10 | 8.29 | 9.66 | 12.02 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
CATO EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 0.29 | 0.37 | 0.46 | 0.67 | 0.77 | 0.70 | 0.41 | 0.26 | 0.68 | 1.05 |
| EV / EBITDA | — | — | — | 44.56 | 10.24 | — | 10.97 | 7.43 | 5.75 | 8.27 | 8.78 |
| EV / EBIT | — | — | — | 190.02 | 13.15 | — | 13.40 | 10.38 | 13.80 | 13.23 | 10.70 |
| EV / FCF | — | — | — | — | 9.22 | — | 12.85 | 6.14 | 8.85 | 14.49 | 15.76 |
CATO Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
The Cato Corporation earns an operating margin of -4.2%, below the Consumer Cyclical sector average of 2.9%. Operating margins have compressed from -0.4% to -4.2% over the past 3 years, signaling potential cost pressures or competitive headwinds. A negative ROE of -10.5% indicates the company is currently destroying shareholder equity.
Margins
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 31.3% | 31.3% | 33.0% | 31.4% | 39.5% | 22.1% | 36.5% | 35.0% | 32.6% | 34.7% | 36.8% |
| Operating Margin | -4.2% | -4.2% | -2.4% | -0.4% | 4.9% | -11.4% | 4.5% | 3.6% | 2.2% | 5.8% | 9.7% |
| Net Profit Margin | -2.9% | -2.9% | -3.2% | 0.0% | 4.5% | -7.9% | 4.2% | 3.6% | 1.0% | 4.8% | 6.5% |
Return on Capital
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | -10.5% | -10.5% | -10.8% | 0.0% | 13.9% | -16.1% | 10.9% | 9.2% | 2.4% | 11.6% | 16.5% |
| ROA | -4.0% | -4.0% | -4.3% | 0.0% | 5.7% | -7.1% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 1.5% | 7.4% | 10.5% |
| ROIC | -6.7% | -6.7% | -3.6% | -0.6% | 6.6% | -10.3% | 6.9% | 8.2% | 4.8% | 12.3% | 23.2% |
| ROCE | -9.6% | -9.6% | -5.3% | -0.9% | 9.5% | -14.6% | 8.9% | 8.1% | 4.6% | 12.6% | 22.7% |
CATO Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
Net debt stands at $126M ($146M total debt minus $20M cash).
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 0.90 | 0.90 | 0.80 | 0.77 | 0.73 | 0.84 | 0.66 | — | — | — | — |
| Debt / EBITDA | — | — | — | 22.07 | 3.68 | — | 3.98 | — | — | — | — |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.77 | 0.67 | 0.68 | 0.65 | 0.77 | 0.63 | -0.08 | -0.24 | -0.12 | -0.16 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | — | — | — | 19.54 | 3.28 | — | 3.76 | -0.53 | -2.04 | -0.60 | -0.56 |
| Debt / FCF | — | — | — | — | 2.96 | — | 4.40 | -0.44 | -3.14 | -1.05 | -1.00 |
| Interest Coverage | -459.24 | -459.24 | -487.31 | -36.33 | 524.95 | -350.52 | 1286.79 | 309.42 | 163.81 | 317.10 | 370.65 |
CATO Liquidity & Efficiency
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
A current ratio of 1.19x means The Cato Corporation can comfortably meet its short-term obligations, though there is limited excess liquidity. The quick ratio of 0.60x is notably lower than the current ratio, indicating a significant portion of current assets is tied up in inventory. The current ratio has declined from 1.37x to 1.19x over the past 3 years.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 1.19 | 1.19 | 1.29 | 1.37 | 1.46 | 1.60 | 1.82 | 2.61 | 2.68 | 2.58 | 2.45 |
| Quick Ratio | 0.60 | 0.60 | 0.77 | 0.82 | 0.95 | 1.13 | 1.24 | 1.77 | 1.80 | 1.73 | 1.71 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.41 | 0.41 | 0.55 | 0.63 | 0.68 | 0.79 | 1.06 | 1.46 | 1.42 | 1.45 | 1.46 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 1.44 | 1.45 | 1.37 | 1.21 | 0.97 | 1.20 | 1.66 | 1.65 | 1.58 | 1.57 |
| Inventory Turnover | 4.03 | 4.03 | 4.81 | 4.65 | 3.73 | 5.32 | 4.55 | 4.51 | 4.71 | 4.29 | 4.53 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 13.78 | 15.34 | 12.74 | 26.48 | 33.47 | 11.54 | 12.38 | 12.03 | 11.58 | 13.22 |
CATO Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
The Cato Corporation returns 26.5% to shareholders annually — split between a 19.0% dividend yield and 7.5% buyback yield.
Dividends
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 19.0% | 16.3% | 10.6% | 7.3% | 2.9% | 3.1% | 8.6% | 8.9% | 11.3% | 5.1% | 3.0% |
| Payout Ratio | — | — | — | 35046.3% | 28.6% | — | 94.2% | 110.1% | 403.1% | 76.6% | 51.3% |
Total Shareholder Return Metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 | FY 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | — | — | — | 0.0% | 10.0% | — | 9.1% | 8.3% | 2.9% | 6.8% | 5.9% |
| FCF Yield | — | — | — | — | 16.0% | — | 11.8% | 15.2% | 8.3% | 6.4% | 6.0% |
| Buyback Yield | 7.5% | 6.0% | 2.0% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 7.7% | 2.5% | 3.6% | 13.0% | 6.1% | 0.5% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 26.5% | 22.3% | 12.6% | 14.9% | 9.2% | 10.8% | 11.1% | 12.5% | 24.3% | 11.2% | 3.5% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $19M | $19M | $20M | $21M | $23M | $24M | $25M | $25M | $27M | $28M |
Peer Comparison
Compare CATO with 10 similar companies in its peer group
| Company | Market Cap | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Gross Margin | Op Margin | ROE | ROIC | Debt/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 CATOYou | $52M | -3.0 | — | — | 31.3% | -4.2% | -10.5% | -6.7% | — |
 PLCE | $74M | -0.7 | 11.6 | — | 30.3% | 1.2% | — | 2.6% | 10.4 |
 DXLG | $36M | -1.0 | — | 19.5 | 43.4% | -4.2% | -28.8% | -6.8% | — |
 CURV | $160M | -21.9 | 13.5 | — | 34.8% | 2.1% | — | 22.5% | 7.0 |
 CTRN | $397M | -8.9 | — | — | 37.5% | -5.2% | -31.9% | -10.1% | — |
 RCUS | $3B | -7.9 | — | — | 96.0% | -156.3% | -63.3% | -64.1% | — |
 TJX | $173B | 31.9 | 22.4 | 35.5 | 31.0% | 11.9% | 59.1% | 25.5% | 2.7 |
 ROST | $75B | 34.6 | 21.2 | 34.1 | 27.9% | 11.9% | 35.8% | 30.0% | 1.5 |
 BURL | $20B | 33.3 | 18.0 | 116.8 | 40.3% | 7.3% | 23.2% | 10.3% | 3.2 |
 FIVE | $13B | 36.3 | 21.9 | 31.4 | 32.0% | 9.6% | 17.9% | 9.9% | 3.1 |
 PSMT | $5B | 33.2 | 16.4 | 50.8 | 17.4% | 4.5% | 12.2% | 13.8% | 1.0 |
| Consumer Cyclical Median | — | 19.6 | 11.4 | 14.9 | 37.9% | 2.9% | 5.8% | 5.8% | 4.3 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
Download Financial Ratios Data
Includes 30+ ratios · 30 years · Updated daily
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Start ComparisonCATO — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying CATO stock.
What is The Cato Corporation's P/E ratio?
The Cato Corporation's current P/E ratio is -3.0x. The historical average is 14.6x.
What is The Cato Corporation's ROE?
The Cato Corporation's return on equity (ROE) is -10.5%. The historical average is 11.3%.
Is CATO stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, The Cato Corporation is trading at a P/E of -3.0x. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What is The Cato Corporation's dividend yield?
The Cato Corporation's current dividend yield is 18.97%.
What are The Cato Corporation's profit margins?
The Cato Corporation has 31.3% gross margin and -4.2% operating margin.