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 July 28, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.
CRI
Carter's Inc.
$39.46Consumer CyclicalDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
LQDT
Liquidity Services, Inc.
$39.33Consumer CyclicalDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
Total return — CRI vs LQDT
growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 20yCRI +52.7%LQDT +217.0%LQDT compounded faster
CRI LQDT
CRI vs LQDT: by the numbers
- •CRI is the larger company ($1.45B vs $1.23B market cap).
- •CRI trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (15.28 vs 41.89 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
- •LQDT converts more revenue to profit (6.30% vs 3.07% net margin).
- •LQDT grew revenue faster over the past five years (16.76% vs -1.35% CAGR).
- •CRI pays a dividend (2.58% yield), while LQDT has no payments in the available dividend history.
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | CRI | LQDT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 15.28 | 41.89 |
| Forward P/E | 11.70 | 25.89 |
| P/S ratio | 0.47 | 2.62 |
| P/B ratio | 1.48 | 5.67 |
| PEG ratio | N/A | 0.80 |
| EV / EBITDA | 10.62 | 21.25 |
| FCF yield | 9.25% | 6.18% |
Profitability
| Metric | CRI | LQDT |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 44.66% | 45.61% |
| Operating margin | 4.80% | 8.37% |
| Net margin | 3.07% | 6.30% |
| ROE | 9.76% | 13.62% |
| ROIC | 5.29% | 11.42% |
Dividends
| Metric | CRI | LQDT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 2.58% | N/A |
| Payout ratio | 38.61% | N/A |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | CRI | LQDT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | -1.35% | 16.76% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | -24.12% | N/A |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | -24.78% | 6.73% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | -13.49% | 15.06% |
Frequently asked
- Which has the lower trailing P/E, CRI or LQDT?
- CRI has the lower trailing P/E: CRI trades at 15.28 and LQDT at 41.89. 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 -1.35% CAGR versus LQDT at 16.76%.
- Does CRI or LQDT pay a bigger dividend?
- CRI pays a dividend (2.58% 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 3.07% versus LQDT at 6.30%.
- How have CRI and LQDT total returns compared?
- Over the past 10 years, CRI delivered -6.64% and LQDT delivered 16.78% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Carter's P/E ratioLiquidity Services P/E ratioCarter's dividend yieldLiquidity Services dividend yieldCarter's ROELiquidity Services ROECarter's operating marginLiquidity Services operating marginCarter's revenue growthLiquidity Services revenue growthCarter's free cash flowLiquidity Services free cash flow
Carter's & Liquidity Services appear in these rankings
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 July 28, 2026.