Carter’s (NYSE:CRI) Issues Q1 2026 Earnings Guidance

27 Feb 2026, 21:30 by Sarita Garza · The Markets Daily

Carter’s (NYSE:CRI – Get Free Report) updated its first quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Friday. The company provided EPS guidance of 0.020-0.080 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 0.360. The company issued revenue guidance of -.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on CRI shares. UBS Group increased their price objective on Carter’s from $33.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Carter’s from $26.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Citigroup raised shares of Carter’s from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $34.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Carter’s from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Carter’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $34.00.

View Our Latest Stock Report on CRI

Carter’s Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:CRI traded down $8.55 during trading on Friday, reaching $33.52. 4,811,484 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,293,535. Carter’s has a 12 month low of $23.38 and a 12 month high of $44.44. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $36.39 and a 200-day moving average price of $32.21. The company has a current ratio of 2.26, a quick ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The firm has a market cap of $1.22 billion, a PE ratio of 13.57 and a beta of 1.06.

Carter’s (NYSE:CRI – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The textile maker reported $1.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.70 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $925.45 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $912.36 million. Carter’s had a return on equity of 16.71% and a net margin of 3.15%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.39 EPS. Carter’s has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.020-0.080 EPS. Research analysts expect that Carter’s will post 5.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Trending Headlines about Carter’s

Here are the key news stories impacting Carter’s this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat on top and bottom lines — Carter’s posted $1.90 EPS vs. $1.70 expected and revenue of $925.45M (up ~7.6% year-over-year), showing sales momentum across segments. This is the primary fundamental upside in the print. Carter’s (CRI) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
Positive Sentiment: Management cites improving traffic, new customer acquisition and sequential momentum in product demand in the press release and slide deck — evidence company-level initiatives are working even as margins are challenged. Business Wire: Carter’s Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Results
Neutral Sentiment: Industry context: analysts note Carter’s sits within apparel players leaning into premiumization and digital, a tailwind for growth but one that also brings higher costs and promotional risk — relevant but mixed for near-term earnings. 5 Shoes & Retail Apparel Stocks Capitalizing on Premiumization Trends
Negative Sentiment: Soft forward guidance drove the sell-off — management lowered Q1 and FY26 EPS expectations (despite guiding to higher sales), signaling margin compression and lower profitability ahead; that outlook is the principal reason the stock is down. Carter’s Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates, Shares Fall on Soft EPS View
Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure, tariff headwinds and weakening cash generation are being called out by commentators as structural near-term risks; these items amplify fears that higher sales won’t translate into proportional EPS growth. Carter’s (CRI) Shares Plunge on Margin Pressure, Tariff Headwinds, and Weakening Cash Generation
Negative Sentiment: Gross-margin and pricing-power concerns highlighted by analysts could force more promotional activity or higher costs, pressuring near-term margins and investor expectations. Carter’s Gross Margins Show Challenges With Pricing Power

Institutional Trading of Carter’s

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CRI. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Carter’s by 113.7% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,564,457 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $77,267,000 after purchasing an additional 1,364,698 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its holdings in shares of Carter’s by 15.7% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,762,036 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $57,143,000 after buying an additional 239,469 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Carter’s by 5.4% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,597,901 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $51,820,000 after buying an additional 82,498 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Carter’s by 7.7% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 856,803 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $27,791,000 after buying an additional 61,348 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its stake in Carter’s by 69.5% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 738,067 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $23,936,000 after buying an additional 302,751 shares in the last quarter.

About Carter’s

(Get Free Report)

Carter’s, Inc (NYSE: CRI) is a leading designer and marketer of infant and young children’s apparel in North America. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company’s core business focuses on creating clothing and accessories for babies and children, including bodysuits, sleepwear, layette, outerwear and accessories that blend comfort, safety and style. Carter’s flagship brand is complemented by its OshKosh B’gosh line, which offers heritage-inspired designs and durable fabrics for toddlers and young kids.