Burlington Stores (BURL) vs Cato (CATO)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 9, 2026.
Summary
Burlington Stores (BURL) has outperformed Cato (CATO) over the past year, gaining 2.8% versus a loss of 45.0%. Over five years, BURL leads with a +2.9% price change compared with -86.0% for CATO. Burlington Stores is the larger company by market cap ($17.39 billion vs $47.4 million), about 366.9 times the size.
On valuation, Cato trades at a lower forward P/E (1.8x vs 20.2x for Burlington Stores).
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | BURL | CATO |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $276.84 | $2.38 |
| Market cap | $17.39B | $47.39M |
| 1-day change | +1.57% | +0.42% |
| YTD return | -4.16% | -22.98% |
| 1-year return | +2.78% | -45.03% |
| 5-year return | +2.94% | -86.04% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 24.87 | — |
| Forward P/E | 20.24 | 1.83 |
| EPS (TTM) | $11.13 | $-0.31 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $11.57B | — |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +8.76% | — |
| Net income (latest FY) | $610.15M | — |
| Gross margin | 43.92% | — |
| Net margin | 5.27% | — |
| 52-week high | $378.33 | $4.59 |
| 52-week low | $226.85 | $2.30 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -26.83% | -48.15% |
| Analyst consensus | buy | — |
| Avg. price target upside | +31.75% | — |
| Average volume | 1.25M | 124.75K |
| Shares outstanding | 62.82M | 18.15M |
| Employees | 17,495 | 6,700 |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Department/Specialty Retail Stores | Clothing/Shoe/Accessory Stores |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Burlington Stores is about 366.9 times larger than Cato by market value ($17.39B vs $47.39M).
- BURL has outperformed CATO by 47.8 percentage points over the past year.
About Burlington Stores
BURL stock →Burlington Stores, Inc. operates as a retailer of branded merchandise in the United States and Puerto Rico.
Consumer Discretionary · Department/Specialty Retail Stores · 17,495 employees
About Cato
CATO stock →The Cato Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a specialty retailer of fashion apparel and accessories primarily in the southeastern United States. It operates through two segments, Retail and Credit.
Consumer Discretionary · Clothing/Shoe/Accessory Stores · 6,700 employees
BURL vs CATO FAQ
Which is bigger, Burlington Stores or Cato?
Burlington Stores (BURL) is larger, with a market capitalization of $17.39B compared with $47.39M for Cato (CATO).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, BURL or CATO?
BURL returned +2.78% over the past 12 months, compared with -45.03% for CATO (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Are Burlington Stores and Cato in the same industry?
Both are in the Consumer Discretionary sector, but in different industries: Department/Specialty Retail Stores for Burlington Stores and Clothing/Shoe/Accessory Stores for Cato.