Which has the lower trailing P/E, AEO or CRI?

CRI has the lower trailing P/E: AEO trades at 7.66 and CRI at 5.54. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, AEO or CRI?

Over the past five years, AEO grew revenue faster — AEO at a 4.59% CAGR versus CRI at -2.54%.

Does AEO or CRI pay a bigger dividend?

AEO yields 3.33% and CRI yields 2.46% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.

Is AEO or CRI more profitable?

CRI runs the higher net margin — AEO at 5.91% versus CRI at 6.55%.

How have AEO and CRI total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, AEO delivered 0.83% and CRI delivered -8.25% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (AEO) vs Carter's Inc. (CRI)

A side-by-side comparison of American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. and Carter's Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of September 13, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

AEO

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.

$2.52B

$15.02Consumer CyclicalDelayed quote: Sep 11, 2026, 4:02 PM EDT

CRI

Carter's Inc.

$1.12B

$30.43Consumer CyclicalDelayed quote: Sep 11, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT

Total return — AEO vs CRI

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

AEO +7.1% (+0.7%/yr)CRI -58.9% (-8.5%/yr)AEO compounded faster over this window

AEO CRI

AEO vs CRI: by the numbers

•AEO is the larger company ($2.52B vs $1.12B market cap).
•CRI trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (5.54 vs 7.66 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•CRI converts more revenue to profit (6.55% vs 5.91% net margin).
•AEO grew revenue faster over the past five years (4.59% vs -2.54% CAGR).
•AEO pays the higher dividend yield (3.33% vs 2.46%).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	AEO	CRI
P/E ratio	7.66	5.54
Forward P/E	7.02	9.30
P/S ratio	0.44	0.38
P/B ratio	1.43	1.09
EV / EBITDA	5.71	5.00
FCF yield	N/A	26.13%

Profitability

Metric	AEO	CRI
Gross margin	38.15%	48.60%
Operating margin	9.34%	9.24%
Net margin	5.91%	6.55%
ROE	19.10%	18.99%
ROIC	10.69%	10.17%

Dividends

Metric	AEO	CRI
Dividend yield	3.33%	2.46%
Payout ratio	25.51%	13.66%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AEO	CRI
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	4.59%	-2.54%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-0.15%	-24.12%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	29.29%	-26.11%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-8.50%	-18.31%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, AEO or CRI?: CRI has the lower trailing P/E: AEO trades at 7.66 and CRI at 5.54. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, AEO or CRI?: Over the past five years, AEO grew revenue faster — AEO at a 4.59% CAGR versus CRI at -2.54%.
Does AEO or CRI pay a bigger dividend?: AEO yields 3.33% and CRI yields 2.46% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is AEO or CRI more profitable?: CRI runs the higher net margin — AEO at 5.91% versus CRI at 6.55%.
How have AEO and CRI total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, AEO delivered 0.83% and CRI delivered -8.25% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AEO analysis Full CRI analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

American Eagle Outfitters P/E ratio Carter's P/E ratio American Eagle Outfitters dividend yield Carter's dividend yield American Eagle Outfitters ROE Carter's ROE American Eagle Outfitters operating margin Carter's operating margin American Eagle Outfitters revenue growth Carter's revenue growth American Eagle Outfitters free cash flow Carter's free cash flow

American Eagle Outfitters & Carter's appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Lowest P/E Ratio Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified September 13, 2026.