ZUMZ vs. CATO

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

ZUMZ (Zumiez Inc.) and CATO (The Cato Corporation) are both stocks. Both operate in the Apparel Retail industry within the Consumer Cyclical sector. Over the past 10 years, ZUMZ returned 4.89%/yr vs -17.66%/yr for CATO. At a 0.44 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ZUMZ vs. CATO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Zumiez Inc. (ZUMZ) and The Cato Corporation (CATO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

Over the past 10 years, ZUMZ has outperformed CATO with an annualized return of 4.89%, while CATO has yielded a comparatively lower -17.66% annualized return.

ZUMZ

• 1D: -0.30%
• 1M: -4.60%
• YTD: -10.75%
• 6M: -11.23%
• 1Y: 91.99%
• 3Y*: 14.55%
• 5Y*: -12.19%
• 10Y*: 4.89%

CATO

• 1D: -1.59%
• 1M: 8.04%
• YTD: 0.00%
• 6M: -11.21%
• 1Y: 19.31%
• 3Y*: -23.99%
• 5Y*: -24.18%
• 10Y*: -17.66%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ZUMZ vs. CATO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ZUMZ Zumiez Inc.	-10.75%	35.89%	-5.75%	-6.44%	-54.70%	30.48%	6.49%	80.18%	-7.95%	-4.69%
CATO The Cato Corporation	0.00%	-20.77%	-39.83%	-16.51%	-42.20%	84.02%	-43.53%	32.97%	-2.99%	-42.89%

Correlation

The correlation between ZUMZ and CATO is 0.14, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.14
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.26
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.39
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.41
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 9, 2005	0.44

Over the past year, the correlation between ZUMZ and CATO has dropped to 0.14 - well below their long-term average of 0.44, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.

Fundamentals

Market Cap ZUMZ : $401.02M CATO : $61.20M
EPS ZUMZ : $0.79 CATO : -$0.01
PS Ratio ZUMZ : 0.42 CATO : 0.09
PB Ratio ZUMZ : 1.24 CATO : 0.37
Total Revenue (TTM) ZUMZ : $929.06M CATO : $654.67M
Gross Profit (TTM) ZUMZ : $332.54M CATO : $216.44M
EBITDA (TTM) ZUMZ : $17.04M CATO : $2.37M

Return for Risk

ZUMZ vs. CATO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ZUMZ

ZUMZ Risk / Return Rank: 82
ZUMZ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 86
ZUMZ Sortino Ratio Rank: 83
ZUMZ Omega Ratio Rank: 81
ZUMZ Calmar Ratio Rank: 80
ZUMZ Martin Ratio Rank: 78

CATO

CATO Risk / Return Rank: 51
CATO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 51
CATO Sortino Ratio Rank: 55
CATO Omega Ratio Rank: 51
CATO Calmar Ratio Rank: 51
CATO Martin Ratio Rank: 49

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ZUMZ vs. CATO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Zumiez Inc. (ZUMZ) and The Cato Corporation (CATO). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	ZUMZ	CATO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.91	0.30	+1.61
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.58	1.06	+1.52
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.32	1.12	+0.20
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.70	0.47	+2.23
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.00	0.77	+5.23
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ZUMZ vs. CATO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ZUMZ Sharpe Ratio is 1.91, which is higher than the CATO Sharpe Ratio of 0.30. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ZUMZ and CATO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ZUMZ	CATO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.91	0.30	+1.61
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.24	-0.47	+0.23
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.10	-0.35	+0.45
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.06	0.03	+0.02

Drawdowns

ZUMZ vs. CATO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ZUMZ drawdown since its inception was -88.06%, smaller than the maximum CATO drawdown of -95.29%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ZUMZ and CATO.

Drawdown Indicators

	ZUMZ	CATO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-88.06%	-95.29%	+7.23%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-31.87%	-43.64%	+11.77%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-60.22%	-69.43%	+9.21%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-78.80%	-85.17%	+6.37%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-78.80%	-89.73%	+10.93%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-57.44%	-87.27%	+29.83%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-48.80%	-39.67%	-9.13%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	14.35%	26.81%	-12.46%

Volatility

ZUMZ vs. CATO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Zumiez Inc. (ZUMZ) is 15.88%, while The Cato Corporation (CATO) has a volatility of 18.59%. This indicates that ZUMZ experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than CATO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ZUMZ	CATO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	15.88%	18.59%	-2.71%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	33.23%	35.11%	-1.88%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	48.54%	65.14%	-16.60%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	50.88%	51.91%	-1.03%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	50.93%	50.67%	+0.26%

Dividends

ZUMZ vs. CATO - Dividend Comparison

Neither ZUMZ nor CATO has paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
CATO The Cato Corporation	0.00%	0.00%	13.08%	9.52%	7.29%	2.62%	3.44%	7.59%	9.25%	8.29%	4.29%	3.26%
ZUMZ Zumiez Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%

Financials

ZUMZ vs. CATO - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Zumiez Inc. and The Cato Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

ZUMZ - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Zumiez Inc. reported a gross profit of 111.40M and revenue of 291.31M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 38.2%.

CATO - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Cato Corporation reported a gross profit of 62.53M and revenue of 171.10M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 36.5%.

ZUMZ - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Zumiez Inc. reported an operating income of 24.53M and revenue of 291.31M, resulting in an operating margin of 8.4%.

CATO - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Cato Corporation reported an operating income of 8.60M and revenue of 171.10M, resulting in an operating margin of 5.0%.

ZUMZ - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Zumiez Inc. reported a net income of 19.55M and revenue of 291.31M, resulting in a net margin of 6.7%.

CATO - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, The Cato Corporation reported a net income of 9.31M and revenue of 171.10M, resulting in a net margin of 5.4%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ZUMZ and CATO in my portfolio?

ZUMZ and CATO have a correlation of 0.14, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ZUMZ or CATO?

CATO has higher volatility (18.59%) compared to ZUMZ (15.88%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ZUMZ dropped -88.06% vs CATO's -95.29%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

ZUMZ currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.91 vs 0.30), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.