Shares outstanding are shares that have been authorized, issued, and purchased by investors and are held by them. The Cato's shares outstanding for the quarter that ended in Apr. 2026 was 20.0 Mil.
The Cato's quarterly shares outstanding
increased
from Jan. 2026 (19.7 Mil) to Apr. 2026 (20.0 Mil).
It means The Catoissued new shares from Jan. 2026 to Apr. 2026 .
The Cato's annual shares outstanding
declined
from Jan. 2025 (20.1 Mil) to Jan. 2026 (19.7 Mil).
It means The Catobought back shares from Jan. 2025 to Jan. 2026 .
The Cato (NYSE:CATO) Shares Outstanding (EOP) Explanation
A company may buy back shares or issue shares in any fiscal period. If a company buys back shares, we should observe that the total number of shares decline. If the company issues new shares, the number of shares outstanding increases.
Usually the presence of treasury shares and a history of buyback are good indicators that company has competitive advantage. But studies have shown that companies usually buy back at wrong time. Buying back shares below its intrinsic value increases value for remaining shareholders. Buying back overvalued shares destroys value for existing shareholders.
Be Aware
Warren Buffett looks for consistency and upward long term trend. Because of share repurchase it is possible for net earnings trend to differ from EPS trend. He preferred net income over EPS. The companies with durable competitive advantage companies report higher % net earnings to total revenues.
Important: If a company is showing net earnings history greater than 20% on total revenues, it is probably benefiting from a long term competitive advantage.
If net earnings is less than 10%, likely to be in a highly competitive business.
The Cato Shares Outstanding (EOP) Related Terms
The Cato Shares Outstanding (EOP) Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for The Cato's Shares Outstanding (EOP) can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
CATO vs KMFG, BIRD, BRIA: Shares Outstanding (EOP) Comparison
For the Apparel Retail subindustry, The Cato's Shares Outstanding (EOP), along with its competitors' market caps and Shares Outstanding (EOP) data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
The Cato Shares Outstanding (EOP) vs Retail - Cyclical Industry
For the Retail - Cyclical industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, The Cato's Shares Outstanding (EOP) distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where The Cato's Shares Outstanding (EOP) falls into.
Shares outstanding are shares that have been authorized, issued, and purchased by investors and are held by them. They have voting rights and represent ownership in the corporation by the person that holds the shares. They should be distinguished from treasury shares, which are shares held by the corporation itself, having no exercisable rights.
Shares outstanding can be calculated as either basic or fully diluted. The fully diluted shares outstanding count includes diluting securities, such as options, warrants or convertibles.
What does a Shares Outstanding (EOP) of 20.0 Mil mean?
The Cato (CATO) has a Shares Outstanding (EOP) of 20.0 Mil as of Apr. 2026. The total shares a company has outstanding, at period-end. View historical data on The Cato and its competitors.
Is The Cato's Shares Outstanding (EOP) too high?
The Cato's current Shares Outstanding (EOP) is 20.0 Mil. Overall, The Cato has a GF Score™ of 65/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does The Cato's Shares Outstanding (EOP) compare to KMFG and BIRD?
The Cato's Shares Outstanding (EOP) of 20.0 Mil can be compared against companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Shares Outstanding (EOP) for a Retail - Cyclical company?
A good Shares Outstanding (EOP) depends on the Retail - Cyclical industry context. However, Shares Outstanding (EOP) should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Shares Outstanding (EOP) mean?
A high Shares Outstanding (EOP) can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The total shares a company has outstanding, at period-end. View historical data on The Cato and its competitors. The Cato's current Shares Outstanding (EOP) is 20.0 Mil. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is The Cato stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, The Cato (CATO) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $4.19, compared to a current price of $3.24 — trading 22.7% below its estimated fair value. The current Shares Outstanding (EOP) is 20.0 Mil. The Cato's overall GF Score™ is 65/100 with 2 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Shares Outstanding (EOP) calculated?
Shares Outstanding (EOP) is calculated from a company's financial statements. For The Cato (CATO), the current Shares Outstanding (EOP) is 20.0 Mil as of Apr. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is The Cato (CATO) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, The Cato stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $3.24 is trading 22.7% below its estimated GF Value™ of $4.19.
GuruFocus considers The Cato to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for CATO:
Shares Outstanding (EOP): 20.0 Mil
GF Value™: $4.19 vs. price of $3.24 (22.7% below fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the CATO stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
The Cato Corp seeks to offer quality fashion apparel and accessories at low prices every day, in junior/missy and plus sizes. The Cato concept's stores and e-commerce website feature a broad assortment of apparel and accessories, including dressy, career, and casual sportswear, dresses, coats, shoes, lingerie, costume jewelry, and handbags. Management believes the Company's success is dependent upon its ability to differentiate its stores from department stores, mass merchandise discount stores, and competing specialty stores. The key elements of the Company's business are: Merchandise Assortment, Value Pricing, Strip Shopping Center Location, Customer Service, Credit and Layaway Programs.
65GF Score
Get the complete analysis for CATO
Shares Outstanding (EOP) is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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