Kohl's Corporation (KSS)
🔔 Watch stock
symbol.quality_heading
The business works in principle, but one material question is open. As long as it stays open, our findings do not carry a quality verdict.
Buy today and you are buying real estate and cash at a bit more than half of book — and at the same time a business that has shrunk for five years and, by its own forecast, will not grow in 2026 either. Watching here means checking the next quarterly reports against four numbers: do comparable sales turn positive (Q1 2026: down 1.1 percent)? Does the revolver stay undrawn (May 2, 2026: $0)? Do the claimed $140 million of tariff refunds actually arrive? And does adjusted earnings per share hold the $1.00 to $1.60 range the company guided to for 2026? Anyone drawn by the $0.50 annual dividend should know it was cut by three quarters in 2025. The decision is yours.
symbol.quality_note
The Wisconsin department-store chain generated more cash in fiscal 2025 than it had in years: $1.38 billion from operations, $935 million of adjusted free cash flow, the revolving credit facility drawn back down to zero. Our in-house stock scanner therefore ranks the stock 39th of 544 in its P/FCF ranking and 30th of 81 among the biggest earnings surprises (U.S. selection, as of July 25, 2026). At the same time revenue has now fallen five years running, the credit ratings sit deep in junk territory, and eleven distribution centers are pledged to bondholders. We count what is actually in the till — and what the small price tag leaves out.
Read the analysis
Stock Watch
This analysis is as of July 25, 2026. Stock Watch will tell you what's changed at KSS since then.
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Appears in These Scanners
This stock currently matches 7 of our scanner strategies — each hit links to the scanner.
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Trading Day
Key levels of the most recently completed trading day — not a live quote.
52-Week Range
Current price 19.10 $ — 60% of the range above the low.
Lowest and highest closing price over the last 52 weeks. The marker shows where the current price sits within that range: close to the high speaks for strength, close to the low for weakness.
Basics
Performance
Technical Indicators
Calculated from the price history · as of 08/03/2026
Valuation
Profitability
Balance Sheet & Safety
Growth
Dividend
Quality & Screener
AI Rating
Uses AIKohl’s verkauft keine KI, setzt sie aber nach eigenen Angaben bereits im laufenden Geschäft ein — im Geschäftsbericht 2025 als Bestandteil von Betriebsabläufen und Kundenerlebnis, in der Einladung zur Hauptversammlung 2026 konkret als generative KI zur Echtzeit-Auswertung von Kundenbewertungen und für personalisierte Produktempfehlungen.
View the full file — quotes, sources, reviewed filings
„We continue to incorporate artificial intelligence, including generative AI and machine learning technology, into our business operations and customer experiences."
Wir binden künstliche Intelligenz, einschließlich generativer KI und maschinellen Lernens, weiterhin in unsere Geschäftsabläufe und unser Kundenerlebnis ein.
„Leveraging generative AI to analyze customer reviews and interactions in real-time, allowing us to identify trends and deliver personalized product recommendations."
Einsatz generativer KI, um Kundenbewertungen und -interaktionen in Echtzeit auszuwerten; das erlaubt uns, Trends zu erkennen und personalisierte Produktempfehlungen auszuspielen.
Filings Reviewed: 10-K 2026-03-19 · 10-Q 2026-06-04 · DEF 14A 2026-04-10 · 8-K 2026-07-01 · 8-K 2026-06-15 · 8-K 2025-11-24
Rated on July 25, 2026 · How the Rating Is Built
Analysts & Price Target
The price target sits 6.5% below the current price.
- Consensus
- Buy
- Analyst Ratings
- 16
Combined picture of the price targets and recommendations of every analyst covering the stock. Price targets are expectations for the next 12 months, not promises — and they often follow the price rather than predict it.
Estimates by Fiscal Year
| Fiscal Year | EPS Estimate ($) | EPS Range ($) | Revenue Estimate ($M) | Expected Growth | Analysts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/31/2027 | 1.42 | 1.26 – 1.75 | 14,991 | -12.2% | 14 |
| 01/31/2028 | 1.48 | 1.17 – 1.90 | 15,018 | 4.1% | 14 |
Average of the analyst estimates for the coming fiscal years. The range shows how far the most optimistic and the most cautious estimate sit apart — the wider it is, the less certain the expectation.
Next Reporting Date
- Expected Earnings per Share
- 0.56 $
Expected date of the next quarterly or annual figures. Dates do shift occasionally — only the invitation issued by the company is binding.
Revenue & Profit
Cash Flow
Balance Sheet
Margins
Per Share
Click the chart or tab into it, then use ← and → to step through the periods.
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· Total · per year
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The figures could not be loaded right now.
Source: fundamental data
Quarterly Figures
| Quarter | EPS (Earnings Per Share) | EPS YoY (%) | Sales ($M) | Sales YoY (%) | Net Margin (%) | OCF ($M) | FCF ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024: Q3 | 0.59 | 13.50 | 3,732 | -4.20 | 1.80 | 254 | 141 |
| 2024: Q4 | 0.20 | -63.00 | 3,710 | -8.50 | 0.60 | -195 | -323 |
| 2025: Q1 | 0.95 | -43.10 | 5,397 | -9.40 | 0.90 | 596 | 497 |
| 2025: Q2 | -0.13 | 45.80 | 3,233 | -4.40 | -0.50 | -92 | -202 |
| 2025: Q3 | 0.56 | -5.10 | 3,546 | -5.00 | 4.30 | 598 | 488 |
| 2025: Q4 | 0.10 | -50.00 | 3,575 | -3.60 | 0.20 | 124 | 16 |
| 2026: Q1 | 1.07 | 12.60 | 5,173 | -4.20 | 2.40 | 750 | 640 |
| 2026: Q2 | -0.13 | 0.00 | 3,167 | -2.00 | -0.40 | -74 | -158 |
- EPS (Earnings Per Share):
- Quarterly profit divided by the total share count — how much of the profit works out to a single share.
- YoY (Year over Year):
- Change versus the same quarter a year ago — this is how you compare without seasonal distortion (e.g. the holiday shopping season).
- Sales:
- All revenue for the quarter, before any costs are deducted — the top line of the income statement.
- Net Margin:
- What percentage of sales is left over as profit in the end. Negative means the company is posting a loss.
- OCF (Operating Cash Flow):
- The cash that actually flows into the till from the core business during the quarter — harder to dress up than book profit.
- FCF (Free Cash Flow):
- Operating cash flow minus capital expenditures — the money that's genuinely free to use, say for paying down debt, buybacks, or dividends.
Annual Figures
| Fiscal Year | Revenue ($M) | EBIT ($M) | Net Income ($M) | EPS ($) | Operating Cash Flow ($M) | Equity ($M) | Total Assets ($M) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 19,681 | 1,183 | 556 | 3.11 | 2,148 | 5,177 | 13,574 |
| 2018 | 20,084 | 1,416 | 859 | 5.11 | 1,691 | 5,426 | 13,340 |
| 2019 | 20,229 | 1,361 | 801 | 4.85 | 2,107 | 5,527 | 12,469 |
| 2020 | 19,974 | 1,099 | 691 | 4.37 | 1,657 | 5,450 | 14,555 |
| 2021 | 15,955 | -262 | -163 | -1.06 | 1,338 | 5,196 | 15,337 |
| 2022 | 19,433 | 1,680 | 938 | 6.34 | 2,271 | 4,661 | 15,054 |
| 2023 | 18,098 | 246 | -19 | -0.16 | 282 | 3,763 | 14,345 |
| 2024 | 17,476 | 717 | 317 | 2.86 | 1,168 | 3,893 | 14,009 |
| 2025 | 16,221 | 509 | 109 | 0.97 | 648 | 3,802 | 13,559 |
| 2026 | 15,527 | 510 | 272 | 2.37 | 1,476 | 4,048 | 13,362 |
Fiscal years from the audited annual reports, oldest first. EBIT is the operating profit before interest and taxes; total assets are everything the company owns.
Assessment: Opportunities & Risks
Fiscal 2025 produced $1,380 million of operating cash flow and $935 million of adjusted free cash flow, up from $104 million a year earlier. The $1.5 billion revolving credit facility was undrawn on May 2, 2026, against $545 million a year before; the $353 million of notes maturing in 2025 were repaid from internal funds, and the amendment of June 30, 2026 extends the facility to 2031.
402 of the 1,153 locations are owned outright, along with eleven of thirteen logistics centers and the corporate headquarters (January 31, 2026). Property and equipment carries at $6.78 billion and equity at $4.02 billion (May 2, 2026) — against a market value of roughly $2.0 billion as of July 25, 2026.
Total revenue has fallen for a fifth straight year: $19,433 million (2021), $18,098 million (2022), $17,476 million (2023), $16,221 million (2024), $15,527 million (2025). In fiscal 2025 net sales fell 4.0 percent, comparable sales 3.1 percent and transaction volume roughly 4 percent. Company guidance for 2026 is a decline of 2 percent to flat, reaffirmed on May 28, 2026.
The jump from $648 million to $1,380 million rests largely on two one-offs: a $129 million settlement gain from a credit card interchange fee lawsuit and $203 million from reducing inventories. On an adjusted basis, operating income was $510 million in 2025 against $509 million in 2024; the first quarter of 2026 saw an outflow of $74 million.
On top of $1,405 million of bonds (May 2, 2026) sit roughly $5.1 billion of lease and financing obligations. Ratings stood at Moody's B2, S&P B+ and Fitch BB−, all below investment grade; the 2031 notes have stepped up 175 basis points since issuance, and the 2030 notes carry 10.000 percent — secured by eleven distribution and e-commerce fulfillment centers.
The chief executive was terminated for cause on April 30, 2025; the permanent successor took office only on November 23, 2025, and a new chief operating officer starts on September 9, 2026. The dividend was cut from $2.00 per share (fiscal 2024) to $0.50 (fiscal 2025), and there have been no share repurchases since 2024.
Kohl's is the clearance-rack trap in its purest form: the price really is low — roughly $2.0 billion of market value against $15.53 billion of revenue, a bit more than half of book value, about two years of cash flow. And the substance is real: 402 stores owned outright, eleven owned logistics centers, $935 million of adjusted free cash flow in fiscal 2025, an undrawn revolver running to 2031. But revenue has fallen for a fifth straight year, the record cash flow came largely from a one-time $129 million settlement gain and a $203 million inventory reduction, the ratings sit deep in junk, and eleven of the most valuable properties are pledged to the holders of a bond paying 10 percent. Not investment advice.
- Kohl's reached our research list through two runs of our in-house stock scanner, both as of July 25, 2026: rank 30 of 81 in the Big Earnings Surprise ranking of the U.S. selection (RS rating 77) and rank 39 of 544 in the P/FCF ranking (ratio 2.02). Both lists are recomputed daily, so the placements are a dated snapshot rather than a property of the company. The 2.02 reading uses trailing twelve-month free cash flow; on the annual report basis ($1,008 million of free cash flow in fiscal 2025, $935 million adjusted) the ratio is about two.
- Two sets of figures run side by side at Kohl's: the U.S. GAAP numbers (operating income $624 million, net income $272 million in fiscal 2025) and the company-adjusted values ($510 million and $186 million), which strip out the $129 million settlement gain and $15 million of store closing costs. Guidance for 2026 is stated exclusively on the adjusted basis. Anyone comparing years has to use the same basis — this article names both.
- Data and recency: the most recent periodic report is the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended May 2, 2026, filed June 4, 2026. Every filing after that date was reviewed — Form 8-K of June 15, 2026 (appointment of the chief operating officer), Form 8-K of July 1, 2026 (Item 1.01, second amendment to the credit agreement), Schedule 13G/A of July 14, 2026 and Forms 4 through July 16, 2026. No merger, take-private or acquisition is pending; neither a DEFM14A or PREM14A merger proxy nor an SC 13E-3 has been filed. The share count comes from the most recent document naming one (113,399,993 shares). Valuation figures are orders of magnitude as of July 25, 2026, not daily prices.
About the Company
Kohl's Corporation operates as an omnichannel retailer in the United States. It offers apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty products, and home products through its stores and website. The company provides its products primarily under the brand names of Apt. 9, Croft & Barrow, FLX, Jumping Beans, SO, Sonoma Goods for Life, and Tek Gear, as well as LC Lauren Conrad, Nine West, and Simply Vera Vera Wang. Kohl's Corporation was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
| Employees | 84,000 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Menomonee Falls, WI |
| Address | N56 W17000 Ridgewood Drive, 53051 Menomonee Falls, United States |
| Phone | 262 703 7000 |
| Website | corporate.kohls.com |
| IPO Date | 18. May 1992 |
| ISIN | US5002551043 |
| Stock Split | 2:1 on 04/25/2000 |
Management
| Name | Title | Birth Year |
|---|---|---|
| Michael J. Bender | CEO & Director | 1962 |
| Jill Timm | Chief Financial Officer | 1974 |
| Christie Raymond | Senior EVP & Chief Marketing Officer | 1970 |
| Nicholas David George Jones | Chief Merchandising Officer | 1973 |
| Steven Dee | Chief Technology Officer | 1970 |
| Trevor Novotny | Director of Investor Relations | – |
| Jennifer J. Kent | Senior EVP, Chief Legal Officer & Corporate Secretary | 1972 |
| Mari Steinmetz | Senior Executive VP & Chief People Officer | 1980 |
| Arianne Parisi | Chief Digital Officer | – |
| Matt Ward | Executive VP of Supply Chain | – |
Executives per the latest required filings; titles kept in their original language. Source: fundamental data.
Insider Transactions
| Date | Person | Role | Type | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16. Jul 2026 | Steinmetz Mari | Sr. EVP, Chief People Officer | Sell | 53 | 17.17 | 910 |
| 15. Jul 2026 | Steinmetz Mari | Sr. EVP, Chief People Officer | Other | 189 | 16.43 | 3,105 |
| 15. Jul 2026 | Steinmetz Mari | Sr. EVP, Chief People Officer | Other | 107 | – | – |
Reportable transactions by officers and major shareholders from SEC Form 4 filings. "Other" includes things like stock grants and option exercises without a buy/sell character.
View all insider transactions →Chart
Interactive price chart (TradingView).
Data as of: July 31, 2026 · Source: fundamental data & SEC filings (annual and quarterly reports, 10-K/10-Q)
Note: pure fact-based analysis, not investment advice and not a solicitation to buy or sell. All figures without guarantee.