Kohl's stock gains as analysts see EPS rebound after strong surprise

Kohl's stock (ISIN US5006432000) is trading around 19.44 dollars as of September 4, 2026, with the department-store chain still far from its pre-pandemic levels but showing signs of stabilization in analyst expectations.

Recent earnings surprises support sentiment

Analyst data compiled by Yahoo Finance show that Kohl's delivered earnings per share of 1.28 dollars in the quarter ended July 31, 2026, far above the consensus estimate of 0.57 dollars for that period.

That July 2026 EPS beat of 0.71 dollars translates into a surprise of 124.07 percent versus expectations, following earlier positive surprises of 160.81 percent for the October 31, 2025 quarter and 26.66 percent for the January 31, 2026 quarter, according to the same analyst overview.

Consensus points to modest EPS growth

The same analyst dataset indicates that for the current quarter ending October 31, 2026, the average EPS estimate stands at 0.01 dollars, compared with an actual EPS of 0.10 dollars in the year-ago quarter, while for the January 2027 quarter analysts on average expect 0.93 dollars versus 1.07 dollars a year earlier.

Looking further ahead, consensus for the current fiscal year 2027 calls for EPS of 2.04 dollars, up from 1.62 dollars reported for the prior year, while the average estimate for 2028 is 1.57 dollars, implying a projected moderation after the initial rebound in 2027.

Retail positioning and merchandise focus

Kohl's Corporation operates a nationwide network of department stores in the United States, with a focus on apparel, footwear, home goods and beauty, positioning itself between off-price chains and full-price mall anchors.

The company has been working on refining its merchandise mix and improving inventory discipline, actions that underpin the earnings trajectory reflected in the analyst estimates for 2027 and 2028.

Kohl's stock valuation in context

With a share price of about 19.44 dollars at the close on September 4, 2026, Kohl's stock trades at a multiple of roughly 9.5 times the consensus EPS estimate of 2.04 dollars for fiscal year 2027 derived from the analyst overview, placing it at a discount to many large general-merchandise peers.

For investors, the key question over the coming quarters will be whether the company can convert its recent EPS surprises into sustainable revenue growth and margin resilience, which would support the current earnings forecasts and potentially narrow that valuation gap.