Carter's Inc. (CRI) vs Liquidity Services, Inc. (LQDT)

A side-by-side comparison of Carter's Inc. and Liquidity Services, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of September 11, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

Compare

Total returnCRI vs LQDT

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y
CRI -58.9% (-8.5%/yr)LQDT +326.4% (+15.6%/yr)LQDT compounded faster over this window
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001kStart $10020182020202220242026$41$426
CRI LQDT

CRI vs LQDT: by the numbers

  • LQDT is the larger company ($1.32B vs $1.12B market cap).
  • CRI trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (5.54 vs 41.66 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
  • LQDT converts more revenue to profit (6.79% vs 6.55% net margin).
  • LQDT grew revenue faster over the past five years (15.03% vs -2.54% CAGR).
  • CRI pays a dividend (3.31% yield), while LQDT has no payments in the available dividend history.

Metrics side by side

Valuation

MetricCRILQDT
P/E ratio5.5441.66
Forward P/E9.3025.75
P/S ratio0.382.71
P/B ratio1.095.62
EV / EBITDA5.0020.47
FCF yield26.13%6.79%

Profitability

MetricCRILQDT
Gross margin48.60%46.56%
Operating margin9.24%9.00%
Net margin6.55%6.79%
ROE18.99%14.10%
ROIC10.17%11.85%

Dividends

MetricCRILQDT
Dividend yield3.31%N/A
Payout ratio18.21%N/A

Growth (annualized)

MetricCRILQDT
Revenue CAGR (5Y)-2.54%15.03%
EPS CAGR (5Y)-24.12%N/A
FCF CAGR (5Y)-26.11%9.39%
Total return CAGR (5Y)-18.44%11.35%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CRI or LQDT?
CRI has the lower trailing P/E: CRI trades at 5.54 and LQDT at 41.66. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CRI or LQDT?
Over the past five years, LQDT grew revenue faster — CRI at a -2.54% CAGR versus LQDT at 15.03%.
Does CRI or LQDT pay a bigger dividend?
CRI pays a dividend (3.31% yield), while LQDT has no payments in the available dividend history.
Is CRI or LQDT more profitable?
LQDT runs the higher net margin — CRI at 6.55% versus LQDT at 6.79%.
How have CRI and LQDT total returns compared?
Over the past 10 years, CRI delivered -8.33% and LQDT delivered 15.64% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

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 11, 2026.