Kohl's Corporation (KSS) — RQD Stock Rating Cockpit

Per the Roarable RQD rating, KSS scores 76 out of 100, grade B+, labeled "Roarable Buy — Very Good Cash & Smart-Money Inflow." The five pillars are:

• Fundamental Cash Engine: 14 / 20. Per the RQD rating, this pillar reflects ROIC of 10.2% and an FCF yield of 22%. A high FCF yield relative to a $2.78B market cap suggests the business generates substantial cash relative to its valuation, though the source does not reconcile this with the reported FCF figures in the financials section.
• Whale 13F Flow: 18 / 20. Per the RQD rating, this is the strongest pillar, citing institutional accumulation and options positioning. The underlying holder detail is not available in source data, so the composition of this flow cannot be verified here.
• Insider Conviction: 17 / 20. Per the RQD rating, this reflects SEC Form 4 and Congressional PTR cluster flow. The individual transactions are not itemized in the source data.
• Macro Regime Fit: 13 / 20. Per the RQD rating, beta of 0.93 and sector sensitivity drive this pillar. A beta below 1.0 implies somewhat lower price sensitivity to broad market moves than the market average, but sector-specific sensitivity is not quantified in the source.
• Forensic Balance Sheet: 14 / 20. Per the RQD rating, Altman Z of 1.81, Piotroski F of 8/9, and Debt/Equity of 0.35. The Altman Z of 1.81 sits in a range that is typically read as a distress-adjacent zone; the Piotroski score is strong; the low Debt/Equity supports the balance sheet read.

For a prospective investor, the rating points to a thesis built on institutional and insider flow plus cash generation at a low multiple. The valuation tradeoff is that low multiples (P/E TTM 10.2, EV/EBITDA 3.5) often reflect market skepticism about durability, which the margin profile (operating margin 4%, net margin 1.8%) and the mixed revenue trend below help explain. Upside depends on whether reported cash generation persists; downside risk rests on thin margins and the Altman reading. This is educational analysis, not personalized advice.

Per the SEC financials, revenue declined across the three reported periods, from $17476.0M to $15527.0M. Operating income rose from FY 2024 to FY 2025 ($433.0M to $624.0M), and FCF moved from negative to $681.3M. Per the market data, net margin is 1.8% and operating margin is 4%. Per the RQD rating, ROIC is 10.2%, Altman Z-Score is 1.81, and Piotroski F-Score is 8/9. Debt/Equity is 0.35 per the RQD rating, while reported debt was $1436.0M in FY 2025 versus $4907.3M in FY 2023.

• CATALYST (GREEN): Seeking Alpha report, "Kohl's soars 12% on holiday season optimism (KSS:NYSE)."
• CATALYST (GREEN): Seeking Alpha report, "Kohl's scores upgrade at Gordon Haskett on improving holiday outlook (KSS:NYSE)."
• MARKET WIRE (YELLOW): Yahoo! Finance Canada market report on KSS.
• MARKET WIRE (YELLOW): MarketBeat report, "Kohl's Corporation (NYSE:KSS) Stock Has Average Target Price of $16.17."
• MARKET WIRE (YELLOW): Yahoo Finance report, "Are Investors Undervaluing Kohl's (KSS) Right Now?"
• RISK WATCH (RED): Yahoo Finance report, "2 Reasons KSS is Risky and 1 Stock to Buy Instead."

The Butterfly Supply-Chain Graph lists no supply chain links and no proprietary signals.

• What is the composition and magnitude of the 13F institutional accumulation and options positioning behind the 18/20 whale pillar?
• Which specific Form 4 and Congressional PTR transactions drive the 17/20 insider pillar, and over what window?
• Why does the reported FCF yield of 22% sit alongside a net margin of 1.8% and a FY 2024 negative FCF of $-81.9M?
• What explains the year-over-year revenue decline and the reduction in debt from $4907.3M (FY 2023) to $1436.0M (FY 2025)?
• What are the EPS figures for the reported fiscal years, which are marked N/A in the financials?