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The CatoCATO +3.74%65 Forward PE Ratio is 0.00 as of Jul. 20, 2026. GuruFocus rates CATO with a GF Score™ of 65/100 and a GF Value™ of $4.18 (Modestly Undervalued). The stock has 2 warning signs investors should review. Among 505 Retail - Cyclical companies, The Cato ranks worse than 198019.6% on this metric.
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
The Cato Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
The Cato Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for The Cato's Forward PE Ratio 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.
The Cato Forward PE Ratio Chart
The Cato Annual Data
Trend
2016-01
Forward PE Ratio
17.15
The Cato Quarterly Data
2016-01
Forward PE Ratio
17.15
CATO vs KMFG, BIRD, BRIA: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Apparel Retail subindustry, The Cato's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE Ratio 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 Forward PE Ratio vs Retail - Cyclical Industry
For the Retail - Cyclical industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, The Cato's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where The Cato's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
The Cato (CATO) has a Forward PE Ratio of 0.00 as of Jul. 20, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on The Cato and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, The Cato ranks #999999 out of 505 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry.
Is The Cato's Forward PE Ratio too high?
The Cato's current Forward PE Ratio is 0.00. Based on the distribution chart, The Cato ranks #999999 out of 505 companies in the Retail - Cyclical industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. 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 Forward PE Ratio compare to KMFG and BIRD?
According to the Retail - Cyclical industry distribution chart, The Cato ranks #999999 out of 505 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This places The Cato in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 15.12. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for a Retail - Cyclical company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Retail - Cyclical companies is 15.12, based on 505 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio 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 Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on The Cato and its competitors. For the Retail - Cyclical industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 15.12 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. The Cato's current Forward PE Ratio is 0.00. 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 $4.18, compared to a current price of $3.33 — trading 20.3% below its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 0.00. 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 Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For The Cato (CATO), the current Forward PE Ratio is 0.00 as of Jul. 20, 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 $3.33 is trading 20.3% below its estimated GF Value™ of $4.18.
GuruFocus considers The Cato to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for CATO:
Forward PE Ratio: 0.00
GF Value™: $4.18 vs. price of $3.33 (20.3% 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
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