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Side-by-side financial comparison of Best Buy (BBY) and CATO CORP (CATO). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Best Buy is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($9.7B vs $155.4M, roughly 62.2× CATO CORP). Best Buy runs the higher net margin — 1.4% vs -3.3%, a 4.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, CATO CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (6.3% vs 2.4%). CATO CORP produced more free cash flow last quarter ($-12.9M vs $-287.0M). Over the past eight quarters, CATO CORP's revenue compounded faster (-5.7% CAGR vs -18.7%).
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American multinational consumer electronics retailer headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota. Originally founded by Richard M. Schulze and James Wheeler in 1966 as an audio specialty store called Sound of Music, it was rebranded under its current name with an emphasis on consumer electronics in 1983.
The Cato Corporation is an American retailer of women's fashions and accessories. The company is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. As of January 2016, the company operated 1,372 stores under the names Cato, Cato Plus, It's Fashion, It's Fashion Metro and Versona.
BBY vs CATO — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q4 2026 vs Q4 2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $9.7B | $155.4M |
| Net Profit | $140.0M | $-5.2M |
| Gross Margin | 23.2% | 32.7% |
| Operating Margin | 2.0% | -5.3% |
| Net Margin | 1.4% | -3.3% |
| Revenue YoY | 2.4% | 6.3% |
| Net Profit YoY | -48.7% | 65.6% |
| EPS (diluted) | $0.66 | $-0.28 |
Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.
8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend
Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.
| Q4 25 | $9.7B | $155.4M | ||
| Q3 25 | $9.4B | $176.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $8.8B | $170.2M | ||
| Q1 25 | $13.9B | $157.9M | ||
| Q4 24 | $9.4B | $146.2M | ||
| Q3 24 | $9.3B | $168.6M | ||
| Q2 24 | $8.8B | $177.1M | ||
| Q1 24 | $14.6B | $174.9M |
| Q4 25 | $140.0M | $-5.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $186.0M | $6.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $202.0M | $3.3M | ||
| Q1 25 | $117.0M | $-14.1M | ||
| Q4 24 | $273.0M | $-15.1M | ||
| Q3 24 | $291.0M | $95.0K | ||
| Q2 24 | $246.0M | $11.0M | ||
| Q1 24 | $460.0M | — |
| Q4 25 | 23.2% | 32.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | 23.2% | 36.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | 23.4% | 35.8% | ||
| Q1 25 | 20.9% | 29.2% | ||
| Q4 24 | 23.5% | 29.6% | ||
| Q3 24 | 23.5% | 35.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 23.3% | 36.5% | ||
| Q1 24 | 20.5% | 32.1% |
| Q4 25 | 2.0% | -5.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.7% | 3.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.5% | 2.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.6% | -15.2% | ||
| Q4 24 | 3.7% | -11.6% | ||
| Q3 24 | 4.1% | -0.4% | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.5% | 3.5% | ||
| Q1 24 | 3.8% | -9.5% |
| Q4 25 | 1.4% | -3.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.0% | 3.9% | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.3% | 1.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.8% | -8.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | 2.9% | -10.3% | ||
| Q3 24 | 3.1% | 0.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | 2.8% | 6.2% | ||
| Q1 24 | 3.1% | — |
| Q4 25 | $0.66 | $-0.28 | ||
| Q3 25 | $0.87 | $0.35 | ||
| Q2 25 | $0.95 | $0.17 | ||
| Q1 25 | $0.55 | $-0.73 | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.26 | $-0.79 | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.34 | $0.01 | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.13 | $0.54 | ||
| Q1 24 | $2.11 | $-1.15 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $923.0M | $79.0M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $1.2B | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $2.7B | $167.6M |
| Total Assets | $16.8B | $450.2M |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 0.44× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $923.0M | $79.0M | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.5B | $90.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.1B | $80.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.6B | $77.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $643.0M | $86.2M | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.4B | $104.7M | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.2B | $105.4M | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.4B | $103.0M |
| Q4 25 | $1.2B | — | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.2B | — | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.2B | — | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.2B | — | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.2B | — | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.2B | — | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.1B | — | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.2B | — |
| Q4 25 | $2.7B | $167.6M | ||
| Q3 25 | $2.7B | $172.2M | ||
| Q2 25 | $2.8B | $164.9M | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.8B | $162.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $3.1B | $177.1M | ||
| Q3 24 | $3.1B | $195.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $3.1B | $196.9M | ||
| Q1 24 | $3.1B | $192.3M |
| Q4 25 | $16.8B | $450.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $15.3B | $436.9M | ||
| Q2 25 | $14.1B | $440.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $14.8B | $452.4M | ||
| Q4 24 | $17.0B | $424.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $15.6B | $455.6M | ||
| Q2 24 | $14.8B | $477.1M | ||
| Q1 24 | $15.0B | $486.8M |
| Q4 25 | 0.44× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.43× | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.42× | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.41× | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.38× | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.38× | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.37× | — | ||
| Q1 24 | 0.38× | — |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $-99.0M | $-12.4M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $-287.0M | $-12.9M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | -3.0% | -8.3% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 1.9% | 0.3% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | -0.71× | — |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $1.5B | $-7.5M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $-99.0M | $-12.4M | ||
| Q3 25 | $749.0M | $11.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $34.0M | $3.9M | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.5B | $-6.5M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-256.0M | $-22.1M | ||
| Q3 24 | $661.0M | $3.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $156.0M | $5.7M | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.2B | $-11.2M |
| Q4 25 | $-287.0M | $-12.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $574.0M | $10.4M | ||
| Q2 25 | $-132.0M | $2.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.4B | $-7.8M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-449.0M | $-23.8M | ||
| Q3 24 | $478.0M | $1.6M | ||
| Q2 24 | $4.0M | $2.4M | ||
| Q1 24 | $997.0M | $-13.5M |
| Q4 25 | -3.0% | -8.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | 6.1% | 5.9% | ||
| Q2 25 | -1.5% | 1.7% | ||
| Q1 25 | 9.7% | -5.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | -4.8% | -16.3% | ||
| Q3 24 | 5.1% | 0.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.0% | 1.4% | ||
| Q1 24 | 6.8% | -7.7% |
| Q4 25 | 1.9% | 0.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.9% | 0.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.9% | 0.6% | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.3% | 0.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | 2.0% | 1.2% | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.0% | 0.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.7% | 1.8% | ||
| Q1 24 | 1.2% | 1.3% |
| Q4 25 | -0.71× | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 4.03× | 1.72× | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.17× | 1.17× | ||
| Q1 25 | 13.14× | — | ||
| Q4 24 | -0.94× | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.27× | 32.95× | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.63× | 0.52× | ||
| Q1 24 | 2.57× | — |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
BBY
Segment breakdown not available.
CATO
| Retail Segment | $154.7M | 100% |
| Credit Card | $5.3M | 3% |
