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The Children's Place

PLCE
16
Apparel - Retail · Consumer Cyclical
Price
$2.49
+0.06 (+2.47%)
Market Cap
$55.4M
Exchange
NASDAQ
Winston Score
16
Winston is worried
Weak fundamentals across most pillars.
Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through May 2, 2026
How the score breaks down
Quality
Weak
Growth
Weak
Cash Flow
Weak
Stability
Data not available
Valuation
Data not available

Share count rising — dilution

+48.1% over 4y

The company has issued more shares over this period, which dilutes each existing shareholder’s stake.

Diluted shares outstanding: 14.9M (2022) → 22.0M (2026)

Winston Score History

The full picture

The Children's Place is a clothing retailer that sells clothes, shoes, and accessories made specifically for babies and kids up to age 14. It operates under two main brands — The Children's Place and Gymboree — and sells to parents shopping for everyday and school clothing for their children. It is one of the largest specialty children's apparel retailers in North America.

The company makes money by selling clothing through its physical stores and its website, with digital sales making up a growing share of revenue. It operates primarily in the United States and Canada, with some international presence through franchise partners. The business has faced serious financial pressure in recent years, reflected in negative operating and returns on capital, as it struggles with store closures, heavy discounting, and competition from mass retailers like Target and Amazon. The main risk going forward is whether the company can stabilize its finances and shrink its store footprint fast enough to return to profitability.

Growth Profile

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

-19.4% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Revenue declining

EPS Growth

-219.0% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Earnings declining

R&D Spend

$0/ year

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (4%)

Research and development spending

Insider Activity

65.5%ownership

Flat

Insider ownership roughly steady over the past year

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$5M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↑ Burn rate improving

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Revenue declining

The Children's Place's revenue is actually shrinking. In a growth stock, that removes the core investment thesis. The low Winston Score here may be warranted — unless there's a turnaround story.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

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Quality

Profit per sale
Gross Margin
21.7%
Thin — 21.7% gross margin
Profit after running costs
Operating Margin
-18.9%
Losing money on operations — -18.9%
Return on the money invested
ROCE
-11.4%
Weak — -11.4% return on capital

Negative ROIC means the business is losing money on every dollar invested in it.

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Growth

Sales growth
Sales YoY
-13.1%
Shrinking sales (-13.1% YoY)
Profit growth
EPS YoY
N/A
Data not available
How steady the profit is
EPS Consistency
4/8 quarters
Earnings inconsistent quarter-to-quarter

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash
Cash Conversion
N/A
Data not available
Spare cash per sale
FCF Margin
-2.1%
Burning cash (-2.1%)

Free cash flow is negative. They are burning cash, not generating it.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns
Debt / Equity
N/A
Data not available
Covers its interest
Interest Cover
N/A
Data not available

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Valuation

Price vs profit
P/E Ratio (TTM)
N/M
Negative earnings — P/E not meaningful
Cheaper or dearer next year
P/E vs Forward
N/A
not available
Data not available

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Dividends

Not applicable for this business.
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