CATO CORP
Close on Oct 19, 2026
- Market cap
- $43.89M
- P/E (TTM)
- –
- Dividend yield
- 0.00%
About CATO
Retail-Women's Clothing Stores, SIC 5621
The Cato Corporation is a fashion specialty retailer operating under concepts including Cato, Cato Fashions, Cato Plus, It’s Fashion, It’s Fashion Metro, and Versona, alongside the Cache brand. The company provides value-priced apparel and accessories, such as dressy, career, and casual sportswear, dresses, coats, shoes, lingerie, costume jewelry, and handbags, primarily under private labels across junior, missy, plus, men’s, and children’s sizes. Business operations are divided into two reportable segments: Retail and Credit, offering an in-house credit card and layaway program to fashion- and value-conscious consumers.
As of January 31, 2026, the company operated 1,069 stores across 31 states, predominantly in the southeastern United States. Its leased retail locations average approximately 4,500 square feet, with around 94% situated in strip shopping centers anchored by national discounters or grocery stores and 6% in enclosed malls. All merchandise is processed through a centralized distribution center in Charlotte, North Carolina, where the corporate headquarters are also located.
Summary of the business section of CATO's latest annual report, written by StockData.
Company profile
Company
- Legal name
- CATO CORP
- Founded
- 1946
- Headquarters
- Charlotte, NC
- Address
- 8100 Denmark Road 28273-5975
- Phone
- (704) 551-7352
- Website
- catofashions.com
- Employees
- 6,700, Jan 31, 2026
- Industry
- Retail-Women's Clothing Stores
- Incorporated in
- Delaware
- Fiscal year ends
- January 30
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Charlotte, North Carolina
Stock & identifiers
- Ticker
- CATO
- Exchange
- NYSE
- Shares outstanding
- 20M, Aug 1, 2026
- Public float
- $46.20M, Aug 2, 2025
- Filer category
- Non-accelerated filer<br>Smaller reporting company
- Stock splits
- 3-for-2, Jun 28, 2005; 3-for-2, Jun 29, 1993
- SEC CIK
- 18255
- CUSIP
- 149205106
- ISIN
- US1492051065
- LEI
- 529900R4SJUY7GCUU865
- EIN
- 56-0484485
Executives and directors
Officers and directors who filed ownership reports (Forms 3, 4, 5) in the last two years
| Name | Position | Shares owned |
|---|---|---|
| Theresa J. Drew | Director | 24,809 |
| Pamela Lewis Davies | Director | 28,438 |
| Daniel Harding Stowe | Director | 52,440 |
| Bailey W. Patrick | Director | 42,106 |
| Kennedy, Iii Bryan F | Director | 39,302 |
| Thomas B. Henson | Director | 43,094 |
CEO pay and shareholder return
Pay versus performance table from the proxy statement
| Fiscal year | CEO total pay | CEO pay actually paid | Other executives (avg) | Value of $100 invested | Peer group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 John P. D. Cato | $1.49M | $1.28M | $466.30K | $35 | $209 |
| FY2024 John P. D. Cato | $2.40M | $1.86M | $556.67K | $39 | $173 |
| FY2023 John P. D. Cato | $2.95M | $2.41M | $581.35K | $71 | $135 |
| FY2022 John P. D. Cato | $3.19M | $2.41M | $495.22K | $96 | $121 |
| FY2021 John P. D. Cato | $5.47M | $6.36M | $714.36K | $149 | $111 |
| FY2020 John P. D. Cato | $2.81M | $2.34M | $539.99K | $73 | $107 |
“Actually paid” adjusts reported pay for changes in the value of equity awards. Shareholder return assumes $100 invested at the start of the measurement period, as disclosed by the company.
Employees
Headcount reported in annual reports
“Company employed approximately 6,700 full-time and part-time associates.”
Corporate history
Events identified from SEC filings
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2013 | Listing notice | Notice of delisting or failure to satisfy a listing rule (8-K Item 3.01) |
| Apr 14, 2005 | Late filing | Notification of late filing |
| Apr 15, 2004 | Late filing | Notification of late filing |
| May 28, 2002 | Listing | Registration of securities on an exchange (Form 8-A) |