On the stock market since 1987, it operates in the world of consumer spending. It has 6,700 employees. Now — the numbers.
The company closed last year at a loss: costs ran above sales. The picture changes only if spending is reined in.
That much dependence is a risk in itself: if this one line weakens, the whole company feels it directly.
Before the clock runs out, either sales must climb sharply or new money must come in. For now, time is on the company’s side.
Executives buying with their own money is usually read as confidence in the company’s future.
We compared this company with its own sector across five subjects.
A score of 50 means class average.
Clearly below the class average.
Clearly below the class average.
Clearly above the class average — a step short of the very top.
This grade is a blend: the profit side is strong, the sales tempo slow.
Clearly above the class average — a step short of the very top.
Financial Strength: The cash-and-debt balance is thin; the buffer for hard times is slim.
Business Quality: Profit power and business quality trail similar companies in the sector.
An investor who bought at the very peak is down 85% today. The business is the same; what changed most is the price — and the expectations — the market pins on it.
The company sells $653.8M a year; the problem isn’t sales — it’s costs running above that number.
Over the last 12 months, company executives reported 33 buys and 12 sells. Management buying with its own money is usually read as a good sign.
It pays out $0.68 per share each year — regular cash for whoever holds the stock.
A loss of $5.9M against $653.8M in annual sales.
The balance sheet offers little cushion against a rough stretch. Report-card grade: 25/100.
Measured against its sector, the quality of the business sits below the class average. Report-card grade: 39/100.
On our five-subject report card, CATO sits behind the class. A low grade doesn’t mean “doomed” — it means “big claim, small proof.”
The takeaway: CATO has solid sales but closed last year at a loss. The road back to profit runs through spending discipline.
The total grade weighs these five subjects against the sector — it isn’t a simple average of the five.