The Goldman Sachs Group Upgrades Carter’s (NYSE:CRI) to Buy

Carter’s (NYSE:CRI) was upgraded by equities research analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note issued on Thursday. The firm currently has a $38.00 price objective on the textile maker’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 9.72% from the company’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Carter’s from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Carter’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, January 19th. Monness Crespi & Hardt upgraded shares of Carter’s from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $45.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Carter’s from $33.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded Carter’s from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price target for the company from $34.00 to $50.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Carter’s has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $37.33.

Carter’s Stock Down 1.7%

CRI opened at $34.63 on Thursday. Carter’s has a twelve month low of $23.38 and a twelve month high of $44.44. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $36.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $33.62. The stock has a market cap of $1.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.74, a PEG ratio of 5.34 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a quick ratio of 1.44, a current ratio of 2.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61.

Carter’s (NYSE:CRI) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 27th. The textile maker reported $1.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.70 by $0.20. Carter’s had a net margin of 3.17% and a return on equity of 14.45%. The company had revenue of $925.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $912.36 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.39 EPS. Carter’s’s quarterly revenue was up 7.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Carter’s has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.020-0.080 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Carter’s will post 5.15 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Carter’s

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in shares of Carter’s by 445.8% during the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 775 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 633 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in Carter’s by 555.9% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,115 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 945 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in Carter’s by 1,208.1% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 1,295 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 1,196 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its holdings in shares of Carter’s by 135.4% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,415 shares of the textile maker’s stock worth $40,000 after buying an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Carter’s by 202.6% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,486 shares of the textile maker’s stock valued at $45,000 after buying an additional 995 shares in the last quarter.

About Carter’s

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.

The company distributes its products through a diversified platform that includes wholesale partnerships with major department stores and mass merchandisers, direct‐to‐consumer e-commerce sites, and an extensive network of company-operated retail stores.