Carter's (CRI) just issued a busy Q3 update, pairing fresh earnings with new fourth quarter and full year 2026 guidance, along with a reshuffle of its senior leadership team. The fresh guidance and leadership shuffle arr
Why CRI Stock surged +7.54% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash
Carter's Inc. (CRI) earns a Roarable Rating of B (Buy) with 72/100 RQD Confidence. High-quality cash engine (45% profit margin, 11% return on capital) with steady institutional support. The company’s underlying cash engine and institutional positioning keep the composite score in the Green Buy zone.
🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief)
Is CRI stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
▼
As of 2026-11-01, Carter's Inc. (NYSE: CRI) is rated B (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 72/100 at a spot price of $33.38 (+7.54% 1D, market cap $1.23B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 12/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 13/20, Executive Insider Alignment 14/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 16/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 17/20. Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, CRI ranks #134 in composite RQD confidence.
🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief)
How does CRI compare to GIII and REF in the Consumer Discretionary sector?
▼
Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Apparel), CRI carries a Roarable B (72/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 13.3x, gross margin of 45.4%, and ROIC of 11.3%. By comparison, GIII (G-III Apparel Group LTD.) holds a B grade (73/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC 6.3%, cap $1.30B) and REF (Reformation Inc.) posts a C grade (63/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $958.3M). Among the 5-stock peer group, CRI leads on earnings multiple (13.3x) while CRI leads on capital efficiency (11.3% ROIC).
🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief)
What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for CRI?
▼
Per CRI's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2026-01-03, CIK 0001060822), Carter's Inc. generated $2.90B in revenue (+1.9% YoY), $91.8M in net income, and $68.6M in free cash flow against $2.57B in total assets and $567.2M in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Company leadership has skin in the game with net positive insider conviction.. Primary risk factors monitored: Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.
Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer
SEC Form 4 / 13F Thermometer: 85% Net Buy • Cannibal Buyback (-2.64% YoY Shares)
FRED Regime × Technicals: 33% of 52W Range • RSI-14 at 47.1 (NEUTRAL RANGE)
Capital intensity & 5% operating margin leave 8 pts on the table
⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the CRI Bull Thesis Could Fail
Even with a 72/100 (B) score, CRI faces multiple-compression risk if 13.3x trailing P/E re-rate toward historical sector medians or if hyperscaler/enterprise customer concentration slows in upcoming 10-Q filings.
Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.
Dilution & Margin Drag: Cannibal Buyback (-2.64% YoY Shares) — any gross margin slip below 42.9% triggers an automatic RQD downgrade.
Technical & Forensic Kill-Switch: A daily close below the 50D SMA ($31.98) or 200D SMA ($36.25) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($35.48) toward Bear Floor ($27.37).
Why CRI Stock surged +7.54% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash
Carter's Inc. (CRI) surged +7.54% to $33.38, trading at 33% of its 52-week range ($27.86 – $44.44). High-quality cash engine (45% profit margin, 11% return on capital) with steady institutional support.
- ▸Technical Tape: Trading at 33% of its 52-week range ($27.86 – $44.44) with RSI-14 at 47.1 (NEUTRAL RANGE).
- ▸Volatility Profile: Historical 20-day realized swing band of ±8.4% around $33.38 (no active unusual options sweep snapshot on file).
- ▸Fundamental Anchor: Roarable B (Buy) backed by 45.4% gross margin and $68.6M annual free cash flow.
Carter's reported Q3 2026 sales of US$752.46 million, roughly in line with last year, while net income reached US$36.61 million and diluted EPS from continuing operations was US$1, ahead of past quarterly figures. The co
Carter's (NYSE:CRI) has reshaped its executive structure with several leadership appointments aimed at advancing its growth plans. The retailer introduced new roles including Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Product Offic
Shares of children’s apparel manufacturer Carter’s (NYSE:CRI) fell 3.9% in the afternoon session after the company reported third quarter fiscal 2026 financial results and moderated its full-year 2026 revenue outlook. Ac
Moby summary of Carter's, Inc.'s Q3 2026 earnings call
Carter's, Inc. (CRI) Q3 2026 Earnings Call October 30, 2026 8:30 AM EDTCompany ParticipantsThomas Robillard - Vice President of Investor RelationsSharon...
Profitability surged 44.6% despite flat sales as pricing power offset consumer softness.
Carter's (NYSE:CRI) reported third-quarter fiscal 2026 results that met its sales outlook and exceeded its profitability expectations, while the children’s apparel company lowered its fourth-quarter revenue forecast to r
Carter's Q3 EPS beat but soft sales guidance and cautious consumer outlook pressured shares, with margins and cash flow improving.
Children’s apparel manufacturer Carter’s (NYSE:CRI) met Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q3 2026, but revenue was flat year on year at $752.5 million. On the other hand, next quarter’s revenue guidance of $870 milli
Scheduled RQD Strong Buys & Whale Accumulation Briefing (CRI Tape Review)
- ✓Breakdown of the highest-scoring RQD Green-Light breakouts across our 5,200+ rated universe
- ✓Forensic Red-Light accounting & dilution traps to review on your watchlist
- ✓Includes downloadable .ics calendar invite & nightly RQD rating-change email alerts
CRI Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure
Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).
vs. +1.9% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).
No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on CRI today. View full Setup Ledger →
No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for CRI. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.
📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (CRI)
1. Head-to-Head Consumer Discretionary Peer Comparison (CRI vs. GIII, REF, CPRI, GOOS)
Industry: Apparel (27 Tracked Issuers)Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary securities in the Roarable RQD universe, Carter's Inc. (CRI) ranks #134 by composite RQD confidence (72/100, grade B) and #487 by equity capitalization ($1.23B). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, CRI leads on earnings valuation at 13.3x trailing P/E, while CRI leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 11.3% ROIC and 45.4% gross margin. GIII currently holds the highest overall quantitative score in the immediate peer group at 73/100 (B) compared with CRI at 72/100 (B).
| Ticker / Company | Roarable Grade | RQD Score | Trailing P/E | Gross Margin | ROIC | 1D Change | Market Cap | Head-to-Head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRI
ACTIVE
Carter's Inc. | B | 72/100 | 13.3x | 45.4% | 11.3% | +7.54% | $1.23B | Benchmark Subject |
| GIII G-III Apparel Group LTD. | B | 73/100 | — | 39.4% | 6.3% | +3.80% | $1.30B | /giii-vs-cri → |
| REF Reformation Inc. | C | 63/100 | — | — | — | +2.66% | $958.3M | /ref-vs-cri → |
| CPRI Capri Holdings Limited | D+ | 53/100 | 23.1x | 62.3% | 10.4% | +5.04% | $1.83B | /cpri-vs-cri → |
| GOOS Canada Goose Holdings Inc. Subordinate Voting Shares | C | 63/100 | — | — | — | +3.34% | $785.2M | /goos-vs-cri → |
2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)
SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2026-01-03 • CIK 0001060822In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2026-01-03), Carter's Inc. (CRI) reported GAAP revenue of $2.90B (+1.9% vs. FY2024 revenue of $2.84B , and -1.6% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of $91.8M, operating cash flow of $122.3M, and free cash flow of $68.6M (-71.7% YoY). On the balance sheet, CRI closed FY2025 with $2.57B in total assets against $567.2M in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 2.63, Piotroski F-Score: 7/9).
| Fiscal Period | Filing Date | Revenue | Net Income | Operating Cash Flow | Free Cash Flow | Total Assets | Total Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 (FY) | 2026-01-03 | $2.90B | $91.8M | $122.3M | $68.6M | $2.57B | $567.2M |
| FY2024 (FY) | 2024-12-28 | $2.84B | $185.5M | $298.8M | $242.6M | $2.43B | $498.1M |
| FY2023 (FY) | 2023-12-30 | $2.95B | $232.5M | $529.1M | $529.1M | — | — |
3. CRI Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)
✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLEDIs CRI stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
As of 2026-11-01, Carter's Inc. (NYSE: CRI) is rated B (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 72/100 at a spot price of $33.38 (+7.54% 1D, market cap $1.23B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 12/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 13/20, Executive Insider Alignment 14/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 16/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 17/20. Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, CRI ranks #134 in composite RQD confidence.
How does CRI compare to GIII and REF in the Consumer Discretionary sector?
Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Apparel), CRI carries a Roarable B (72/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 13.3x, gross margin of 45.4%, and ROIC of 11.3%. By comparison, GIII (G-III Apparel Group LTD.) holds a B grade (73/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC 6.3%, cap $1.30B) and REF (Reformation Inc.) posts a C grade (63/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $958.3M). Among the 5-stock peer group, CRI leads on earnings multiple (13.3x) while CRI leads on capital efficiency (11.3% ROIC).
What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for CRI?
Per CRI's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2026-01-03, CIK 0001060822), Carter's Inc. generated $2.90B in revenue (+1.9% YoY), $91.8M in net income, and $68.6M in free cash flow against $2.57B in total assets and $567.2M in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Company leadership has skin in the game with net positive insider conviction.. Primary risk factors monitored: Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.
Where is CRI trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?
CRI last traded at $33.38 (+7.54% on volume of 2,053,623 shares), positioning the stock +4.38% above its 50-day simple moving average ($31.98) and -7.92% below its 200-day simple moving average ($36.25). Across its 52-week range of $27.86 to $44.44, CRI sits at the 33.3% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 47.1 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±8.4% ($30.58 to $36.18).
CRI Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index
100% OPEN ACCESS • SEC EDGAR × CBOE × FREDWhy is CRI stock moving today?
Why CRI Stock surged +7.54% Today — RQD Quant Desk Flash. High-quality cash engine (45% profit margin, 11% return on capital) with steady institutional support.