Carter's [CRI] vs Ross Stores [ROST] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 21 vital metrics comparison: Carter's Inc. wins in 8 metrics, Ross Stores Inc. wins in 13 metrics, with 0 ties. Ross Stores Inc. appears stronger overall.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

Metric Carter's Inc. Ross Stores Inc. Better
P/E Ratio (TTM) 15.05 34.38 Carter's Inc.
Price-to-Book Ratio 1.50 11.82 Carter's Inc.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio 131.03 84.24 Ross Stores Inc.
PEG Ratio 5.15 2.81 Ross Stores Inc.
EV/EBITDA 10.48 22.93 Carter's Inc.
Profit Margin (TTM) 3.17% 9.43% Ross Stores Inc.
Operating Margin (TTM) 8.61% 12.27% Ross Stores Inc.
EBITDA Margin (TTM) 8.61% 12.27% Ross Stores Inc.
Return on Equity 10.32% 36.68% Ross Stores Inc.
Return on Assets (TTM) 3.60% 11.11% Ross Stores Inc.
Free Cash Flow (TTM) $68.63M $2.21B Ross Stores Inc.
Dividend Yield 2.88% 0.99% Carter's Inc.
1-Year Return 37.41% 82.12% Ross Stores Inc.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) 0.48 3.23 Carter's Inc.
Enterprise Value $2.09B $73.77B Ross Stores Inc.
EV/Revenue Ratio 0.72 3.24 Carter's Inc.
Gross Profit Margin (TTM) 43.24% 27.19% Carter's Inc.
Revenue per Share (TTM) $82 $71 Carter's Inc.
Earnings per Share (Diluted) $2.53 $6.60 Ross Stores Inc.
Beta (Stock Volatility) 0.98 0.93 Ross Stores Inc.
Short % of Float 10.73% 3.02% Ross Stores Inc.

Carter's Inc. vs Ross Stores Inc. Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
Carter's Inc.-2.31%6.74%24.93%19.19%29.69%25.90%
Ross Stores Inc.-1.40%4.11%11.29%13.85%28.48%29.57%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
Carter's Inc.37.41%-38.67%-58.29%-58.80%42.40%66.82%
Ross Stores Inc.82.12%122.67%108.34%342.64%1,177.29%3,420.97%

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Carter's Inc. vs Ross Stores Inc.

MetricCRIROST
Market Information
Market Cap i$1.40B$73.22B
Market Cap CategorySmall capLarge cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i1,151,7002,012,952
90 Day Avg. Volume i1,089,5232,398,141
Last Close$41.80$236.77
52 Week Range$23.38 - $44.44$124.49 - $242.81
% from 52W High-5.94%-2.49%
All-Time High$129.00 (Jan 22, 2018)$242.81 (Jun 12, 2026)
% from All-Time High-67.60%-2.49%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.08%0.12%
Quarterly Earnings Growth0.04%0.10%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.03%0.09%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.09%0.12%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.10%0.37%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i131.0384.24
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$25.40$19.20
Cash per Share (MRQ)$13.98$14.25
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$122.33M$3.03B
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$51.15M$1.64B
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i2.88%0.99%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$1.00$2.09

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Carter's Inc. vs Ross Stores Inc.

MetricCRI (Apr 24, 2026)ROST (Apr 26, 2026)
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i15.0534.38
Forward P/E i10.6428.06
PEG Ratio i5.152.81
Price to Sales (TTM) i0.483.23
Price to Book (MRQ) i1.5011.82
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$1.40B$73.22B
Enterprise Value i$2.09B$73.77B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i0.723.24
Enterprise to EBITDA i10.4822.93
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i0.980.93
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$25.40$19.20

Financial Statements Comparison: Carter's Inc. vs Ross Stores Inc.

Financial Metrics

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Revenue

Operating Margin

Profit Margin

Long Term Debt

Income Flow Analysis

Financial Statements Comparison

Income Statement

MetricCRI (2025)ROST (2026)
Revenue/Sales i2.90B22.75B
Cost of Goods Sold i1.58B16.45B
COGS % of Revenue i54.6%72.3%
Gross Profit i1.31B6.30B
Gross Margin i45.4%27.7%
Research & Development iN/AN/A
Operating Income (EBIT) i143.93M2.71B
Operating Margin i5.0%11.9%
EBITDA i204.98M3.39B
EBITDA Margin i7.1%14.9%
Pre-Tax Income i113.83M2.84B
Pre-Tax Income % of Revenue i3.9%12.5%
Income Tax i22.04M697.11M
Income Tax % of Revenue i0.8%3.1%
Net Income (Profit) i91.80M2.15B
Profit Margin i3.2%9.4%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics

MetricCRI (2025)ROST (2026)
Cash & Equivalents i487.08M4.59B
Total Current Assets i1.27B7.64B
Total Current Assets % of Revenue i43.8%33.6%
Total Current Liabilities i506.00M4.83B
Total Current Liabilities % of Revenue i17.5%21.2%
Long-Term Debt i1.08B3.98B
Long-Term Debt % of Revenue i37.1%17.5%
Total Shareholders Equity i925.05M6.19B
Retained Earnings i929.46M4.73B
Retained Earnings % of Revenue i32.1%20.8%
Property, Plant & Equipment i984.45M3.52B

Cash Flow Statement Comparison

MetricCRI (2025)ROST (2026)
Operating Cash Flow i119.68M3.01B
Operating Cash Flow % of Revenue i4.1%13.2%
Capital Expenditures iN/A-819.28M
Free Cash Flow i68.63M2.21B
FCF Margin i2.4%9.7%
Debt Repayment i-500.00M-700.00M
Common Stock Repurchase i0-1.13B

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricCRIROST
Shares Short i3.26M8.36M
Short Ratio i2.652.88
Short % of Float i10.73%3.02%
Shares Outstanding i36.43M322.33M
Float Shares i34.68M314.62M
% Held by Insiders i4.49%2.14%
% Held by Institutions i111.01%94.42%
% Held by Public i-15.50%3.44%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Carter's Inc. vs Ross Stores Inc.

MetricCRIROST
Last 12-Month Dividend i$1.00$2.09
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i2.88%0.99%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$2.42$1.64
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i1.11%0.27%
3-Year Total Dividends i$7.25$4.93
Ex-Dividend DateMar 13, 2026Mar 13, 2026