KSS Stock: Insider Activity, Filings & Research

Kohl's Corporation (KSS) — Drillr’s hub for KSS insider activity, SEC filings, earnings signals and AI research. Over the trailing 3 months, KSS insiders filed 0 open-market buys and 7 sales (SEC Form 4).

Sentiment

0/100

Buys (3m)

Sells (3m)

Net (3m)

-$65.0K

Insider trades by month Buys Sells

Jul

Dec

Mar

Apr

Context3-month price +1.4%Institutions accumulating (13F)

Date	Insider	Type	Shares	Price
May 21, 2026	Mitchell Robbindirector	Grant	11,876	—
May 21, 2026	Villagomez Adolfodirector	Grant	11,876	—
May 21, 2026	Floyd H. Charlesdirector	Grant	11,876	—
May 21, 2026	COSSET YAELdirector	Grant	13,514	—
May 21, 2026	SCHLIFSKE JOHN E.director	Grant	28,256	—
May 21, 2026	Arlin Wendy C.director	Grant	16,380	—
May 21, 2026	PRISING JONASdirector	Grant	13,923	—
May 19, 2026	Bender Michael Jdirector, officer: Chief Executive Officer	Tax	210,811	$11.77
May 19, 2026	Bender Michael Jdirector, officer: Chief Executive Officer	Grant	17,080	—
Apr 15, 2026	Steinmetz Mariofficer: Sr. EVP, Chief People Officer	Grant	513	—
Apr 15, 2026	Steinmetz Mariofficer: Sr. EVP, Chief People Officer	Sell	351	$13.51
Apr 15, 2026	Steinmetz Mariofficer: Sr. EVP, Chief People Officer	Tax	1,246	$13.46
Apr 7, 2026	Steinmetz Mariofficer: Sr. EVP, Chief People Officer	Sell	112	$12.98
Apr 3, 2026	Floyd H. Charlesdirector	Grant	178	$0.13
Apr 3, 2026	Raymond Christieofficer: Sr. EVP, Chief Marketing Off.	Tax	65	$12.90

Source: KSS SEC Form 4 filings, latest May 21, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.

Overview

Kohl's Corporation (NYSE:KSS) is a major American department store chain founded in 1988 and headquartered in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. The company went public in 1992 and has grown to operate approximately 1,100 stores across the United States, alongside its e-commerce platform Kohls.com. Kohl's has positioned itself as a value-oriented retailer targeting middle-income families, offering a mix of national brands, exclusive brands, and private label merchandise across apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, and home categories. The company has undergone significant strategic transformation in recent years, including a leadership transition with Ashley Buchanan becoming CEO in January 2025, and has been working to revitalize its business model amid challenging retail conditions.

Business

Kohl's operates in the department store retail industry, which represents a traditional brick-and-mortar retail format that offers a wide variety of merchandise categories under one roof. Department stores have historically served as anchor tenants in shopping malls and standalone locations, providing customers with convenient one-stop shopping for clothing, accessories, home goods, and beauty products. The company's core business revolves around selling branded apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty products, and home goods through both physical stores and digital channels. Kohl's merchandise strategy includes three main components: national brands (such as Nike, Levi's, and Adidas), exclusive partnerships with designer and celebrity brands, and proprietary private label brands. The company's private label portfolio includes Apt. 9, Croft & Barrow, Jumping Beans, SO, and Sonoma Goods for Life, along with exclusive licensed brands like Food Network, LC Lauren Conrad, Nine West, and Simply Vera Vera Wang. A significant strategic initiative has been Kohl's partnership with Sephora, the French beauty retailer. This partnership involves dedicated Sephora shop-in-shop spaces within Kohl's stores, offering premium beauty products and services. As of recent reports, Sephora shops operate in over 1,050 Kohl's locations and have become a major growth driver, with beauty sales increasing substantially year-over-year. The company has also launched partnerships with Babies"R"Us, creating dedicated baby product sections in approximately 200 stores. Kohl's operates through an omnichannel model, meaning customers can shop seamlessly across physical stores and digital platforms. The company offers services like buy-online-pickup-in-store, ship-from-store, and various fulfillment options to bridge the gap between online and offline shopping experiences.

Revenue model

Kohl's generates revenue primarily through product sales across its retail channels, operating on a traditional retail markup model where merchandise is purchased wholesale and sold at retail prices. The company's customers are primarily middle-income families and value-conscious consumers who appreciate the combination of brand-name merchandise and frequent promotional offers. The business model relies heavily on promotional strategies, including Kohl's Cash (a rewards program that provides store credit for future purchases), percentage-off coupons, and seasonal sales events. The company also operates a Kohl's Rewards program that provides points and exclusive offers to frequent shoppers, helping to drive customer loyalty and repeat purchases. Several factors significantly impact Kohl's profitability and margins. Inventory management is crucial, as the company must balance having sufficient stock to meet demand while avoiding excess inventory that requires markdowns. Private label merchandise typically provides higher margins than national brands, making the success of proprietary brands important for profitability. The company's promotional intensity directly affects margins - while promotions drive traffic and sales, excessive discounting can erode profitability. Consumer spending patterns and economic conditions heavily influence performance, as middle-income customers tend to reduce discretionary spending during economic uncertainty. Competition from e-commerce giants like Amazon and fast-fashion retailers continues to pressure traditional department stores. Real estate costs for physical stores represent a significant fixed expense, making sales productivity per square foot critical. The success of growth initiatives like Sephora partnerships and new category expansions can positively impact margins by attracting new customers and increasing basket sizes. Additionally, supply chain efficiency and freight costs affect the company's ability to maintain competitive pricing while preserving margins.

Competitive moat

Kohl's operates in a highly competitive retail environment with limited sustainable competitive advantages. The company's moat is relatively weak compared to businesses with stronger defensive characteristics. The company's primary competitive advantages include its extensive physical store network of approximately 1,100 locations, which provides convenient access for customers and serves as fulfillment centers for omnichannel operations. The Kohl's Cash rewards program creates some customer stickiness by incentivizing repeat purchases, though similar loyalty programs are easily replicated by competitors. The Sephora partnership represents the strongest element of Kohl's current competitive position, as it provides access to premium beauty products and attracts younger, higher-income customers who might not otherwise shop at Kohl's. However, this advantage is dependent on maintaining the partnership relationship and is not entirely within Kohl's control. The company's private label brands offer some differentiation and higher margins, but these brands lack the strong consumer recognition and loyalty that would create a significant moat. Most of Kohl's merchandise is available through other retailers, limiting pricing power. Significant competitive threats come from multiple directions: e-commerce platforms like Amazon offer superior convenience and often better prices; off-price retailers like TJX Companies provide comparable or better value on brand-name merchandise; specialty retailers offer deeper assortments in specific categories; and fast-fashion retailers appeal to younger consumers with trendy, affordable options. The department store format itself faces structural challenges as consumer shopping habits shift toward online channels and specialized retailers. The company's large physical footprint, while providing market presence, also represents a significant fixed cost burden that more flexible competitors don't face. Overall, Kohl's operates in a commoditized industry with low barriers to entry and intense competition, resulting in a weak economic moat.

Risks & safety

Kohl's presents a moderate margin of safety with some financial stability but ongoing operational challenges that create uncertainty. **Financial Position:** 1. Cash position: $134 million in cash and short-term investments as of Q4 2024, relatively low for a company of this size 2. Debt levels: Debt-to-equity ratio of 1.88, indicating significant leverage that constrains financial flexibility 3. Current ratio: 1.08, barely above 1.0, suggesting tight working capital management 4. Free cash flow: $497 million in Q4 2024 (positive), but was negative in Q3 2024 at -$323 million, showing volatility **Valuation Metrics:** 1. P/E ratio: 7.6x based on recent earnings, appearing relatively cheap 2. Price-to-book ratio: 0.39x, trading below book value 3. EV/EBITDA: 6.9x, reasonable for a struggling retailer 4. Graham number: $18.26 vs. current price around $8.54, suggesting potential undervaluation **Other Considerations:** 1. Dividend cut: Reduced to $0.125 per share, indicating management's focus on cash preservation 2. Declining revenues: Multi-year trend of sales decreases creates ongoing pressure 3. Store closure potential: Large physical footprint may require optimization

Recent development

Over the past few years, Kohl's has undergone significant strategic transformation aimed at revitalizing its business model and addressing declining sales trends. The most prominent initiative has been the expansion of Sephora shop-in-shop locations, which has grown from a pilot program to over 1,050 stores. This partnership has been highly successful, with beauty sales increasing substantially and attracting new customers to Kohl's stores. The company has also launched the Babies"R"Us partnership, creating dedicated baby product sections in approximately 200 stores to capture the lucrative baby and family market. Additionally, Kohl's has expanded impulse merchandising areas near checkout lanes and introduced home decor sections, both of which have shown strong sales growth. Leadership changes have been significant, with Tom Kingsbury serving as CEO through a transition period before Ashley Buchanan took over as CEO in January 2025. Buchanan, formerly CEO of Michaels, has outlined a strategic focus on curating balanced merchandise assortments, reestablishing value leadership, and delivering frictionless omnichannel experiences. The company has been working to rebuild its private label inventory after identifying that reductions in proprietary brand offerings had negatively impacted customer satisfaction. Management has also focused on optimizing promotional strategies, reducing unnecessary discounts while maintaining competitive value propositions. Store layout optimization has been another key initiative, with the company repositioning departments, expanding successful categories like home decor, and reintroducing previously discontinued sections like fine jewelry and petites based on customer feedback. The company has also invested in supply chain improvements to enhance inventory management and reduce costs.

KSS company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.

Track KSS with Drillr

SEC filings, earnings calls, insider activity, alt-data signals — all queryable through Drillr's AI terminal and MCP API.

Try Drillr for free