Stocktoria
Childrens Place, Inc. PLCE
Childrens Place, Inc. (PLCE) earns a Piotroski F-score of 3/9 (weak financial health), with an Altman Z″ in the distress zone. It pays a dividend yielding 2.69% (safety: no dividend). FY2026 revenue was $1.2B at a -7.3% net margin.
Quality score trend · recomputed for each fiscal year
Each year's score is computed from that year's filing — a rising Piotroski F or Altman Z″ means improving financial health, a fall is worth a look.
Beneish M-score: -3.44 — low (below −2.22 — no manipulation red flag) . A statistical screen for earnings manipulation, not proof — and it doesn't apply to most banks/insurers.
Analyst price target
Wall Street analyst consensus — a sentiment gauge, not our scoring.
Smart money · insiders, last 12 months
Open-market insider purchases minus sells (SEC Form 4) — real buying with their own money is a bullish “smart money” signal; grants and option exercises are excluded.
How it ranks in Retail Trade · percentile among 238 companies
Percentile vs other Retail Trade companies we cover — e.g. “stronger than 90%” means only 10% score higher on that measure.
Piotroski F breakdown · 3/9 tests passed
- Positive return on assets
- Positive operating cash flow
- Rising ROA
- Cash flow exceeds net income
- Lower long-term debt
- Rising current ratio
- No share dilution
- Rising gross margin
- Rising asset turnover
Altman Z″ components · distress zone
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| Working capital / assets | 0.015 |
| Retained earnings / assets | -0.419 |
| EBIT / assets | -0.085 |
| Equity / liabilities | -0.075 |
Sector peers · similar-size Retail Trade companies compare side by side →
| Ticker | Company | Piotroski F | Altman Z″ | P / E | Revenue growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PLCE | Childrens Place, Inc. | 3/9 | -1.92 | — | -12.8% |
| BKE | BUCKLE INC | 4/9 | 4.62 | 10.6 | +6.6% |
| LE | LANDS' END, INC. | 6/9 | 1.71 | 66.4 | -2% |
| DXLG | DESTINATION XL GROUP, INC. | 3/9 | -0.15 | — | -6.9% |
| ANF | ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO /DE/ | 5/9 | 6.44 | 8 | +6.4% |
| AEO | AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS INC | 4/9 | 3.95 | 15.6 | +4.1% |
| URBN | URBAN OUTFITTERS INC | 8/9 | 4.74 | 14 | +11.1% |
About Childrens Place, Inc.
The Children's Place, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an omni-channel children's specialty portfolio of brands in North America and internationally. It operates through two segments, The Children's Place U.S. and The Children's Place International. The company designs, contracts to manufacture, and sells apparel, accessories, and footwear primarily under The Children's Place, Gymboree, Sugar & Jade, PJ Place, Crazy 8, Place, Baby Place, and other brands. It offers its products through its digital storefronts, www.childrensplace.com and www.gymboree.com; physical stores in North America; wholesale marketplaces; and international franchise partners, as well as through social media channels. The company was formerly known as The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and changed its name to The Children's Place, Inc. in June 2014. The Children's Place, Inc. was founded in 1969 and is headquartered in Secaucus, New Jersey.
FAQ
Is PLCE financially healthy?
Childrens Place, Inc.'s Piotroski F-score is 3/9 (8–9 is excellent, 0–3 weak), and its Altman Z″ distress score is in the distress zone.
Does PLCE pay a dividend, and is it safe?
Yes. Childrens Place, Inc. pays a dividend yielding about 2.69% with a None payout ratio, rated “no dividend” for safety.
How profitable is PLCE?
In FY2026, Childrens Place, Inc. had a net margin of -7.3%.
Is PLCE overvalued or undervalued?
Childrens Place, Inc. trades at about 0.2× trailing earnings — below its 10-year norm (10-year range 5.0×–17.5×, median 17.4×). Stocktoria reports the data, not buy/sell advice.
What is the analyst price target for PLCE?
The average Wall-Street price target for Childrens Place, Inc. is $4.00, about 61.3% above the recent price, from 1 analysts (consensus: hold).
Is PLCE a good stock to buy?
Stocktoria doesn't give buy or sell advice, but here is the data on Childrens Place, Inc.: a Piotroski F-score of 3/9, an Altman Z″ in the distress zone, a dividend yield of 2.69%. Weigh these quality and valuation signals against your own goals.
Computed from company filings · US · as of 2026-01-31. Facts plus Stocktoria's own computed scores — not investment advice.