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BURL vs DBI
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Burlington Stores, Inc. (BURL) vs. Designer Brands Inc. (DBI) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- Burlington Stores, Inc. (BURL) reported strong first-quarter fiscal 2026 results with 14% total sales growth and 6% comparable store sales growth, leading to raised full-year guidance.
- Designer Brands Inc. (DBI) delivered a mixed first-quarter fiscal 2026 performance, with adjusted earnings per share beating expectations but comparable sales declining 1.1% and revenue slightly missing estimates.
- In recent market activity, BURL has demonstrated greater price stability and institutional interest, including a new position by Bank of New York Mellon Corp., while DBI trades at a significantly lower market capitalization with higher volatility.
- BURL operates as a large-scale off-price apparel and home goods retailer with over 1,200 stores and ongoing expansion, contrasting with DBI’s focus on footwear and accessories through a smaller retail footprint and brand portfolio segment.
- Relative performance in recent weeks shows BURL maintaining positive year-to-date gains amid broader retail sector dynamics, whereas DBI has faced pressure from macroeconomic factors affecting consumer discretionary spending.
- Sector exposure differs notably, with BURL benefiting from off-price value positioning and DBI navigating challenges in the footwear category amid inventory management improvements.
Introduction
This comparison examines Burlington Stores, Inc. (BURL) and Designer Brands Inc. (DBI), two retailers operating in the consumer discretionary sector with distinct business models in apparel, footwear, and accessories. BURL focuses on off-price merchandise across a large store network, while DBI emphasizes branded footwear through retail and wholesale channels. The analysis targets institutional and retail investors or traders seeking to understand relative performance, market positioning, and recent developments between these stocks in the current environment. It highlights contrasts in scale, growth drivers, and sentiment shifts without providing investment recommendations.
BURL Overview and Recent Performance
Burlington Stores, Inc. (BURL) is a national off-price retailer offering branded apparel, footwear, accessories, and home merchandise at value prices through more than 1,200 stores. In recent market activity, the stock has shown resilience with year-to-date gains in the mid-teens despite some pullback in recent weeks from levels near $350. First-quarter fiscal 2026 results featured 14% total sales growth to approximately $2.85 billion and 6% comparable store sales growth, exceeding prior guidance and prompting an upward revision to full-year adjusted earnings per share expectations in the $11.45 to $11.80 range. Factors influencing sentiment include successful store expansion plans targeting over 100 net new openings, margin expansion from supply chain and inventory initiatives, and broad-based category strength in apparel and accessories. Institutional activity, such as a new $148.77 million position by Bank of New York Mellon Corp., has supported positioning amid ongoing retail sector dynamics.
DBI Overview and Recent Performance
Designer Brands Inc. (DBI) designs, produces, and retails footwear and accessories, operating a network of approximately 663 stores alongside a growing brand portfolio segment. In recent market activity, the stock has traded near $5.75 with a market capitalization around $292 million, reflecting higher volatility and a year-to-date advance tempered by recent pressures. First-quarter fiscal 2026 results showed net sales rising 1.4% to $696.4 million, with adjusted earnings per share of $0.07 beating estimates, though comparable sales declined 1.1% and revenue slightly missed consensus. Gross margin expanded 240 basis points to 45.3% due to inventory and sourcing improvements. Sentiment has been shaped by macroeconomic headwinds on discretionary spending, sequential stabilization in the retail segment, and double-digit growth in the brand portfolio, with full-year guidance reaffirmed for net sales ranging from down 1% to up 1% and adjusted earnings per share of $0.28 to $0.38. Upcoming second-quarter results are scheduled for early September.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
Burlington Stores, Inc. (BURL) and Designer Brands Inc. (DBI) differ substantially in scale and business model, with BURL representing a large-cap off-price apparel retailer generating over $11 billion in annual revenue and DBI operating as a smaller footwear-focused entity with revenue near $2.9 billion. Growth drivers for BURL center on store expansion, comparable sales momentum, and operating leverage, while DBI relies on brand portfolio development and gross margin gains amid retail segment stabilization. Recent momentum favors BURL through consistent earnings beats and raised guidance, contrasting with DBI’s mixed results and flat-to-modest sales outlook. Risk factors include BURL’s higher debt-to-equity ratio and valuation multiple versus DBI’s elevated short interest and sensitivity to consumer spending shifts. Sector exposure places both in consumer discretionary, though BURL’s value-oriented model offers relative resilience compared to DBI’s premium footwear positioning. Market sentiment reflects greater institutional accumulation and analyst support for BURL amid broader retail recovery signals.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Based on observable factors such as trend consistency in recent performance, earnings momentum, and relative positioning within the retail sector, Tickeron’s AI would currently assign a higher probability of favor to Burlington Stores, Inc. (BURL) over Designer Brands Inc. (DBI). BURL exhibits stronger catalysts from raised guidance and store growth initiatives alongside more stable recent market activity, while DBI faces greater near-term uncertainty from comparable sales trends and macroeconomic pressures. This assessment remains probabilistic and draws solely from verifiable data patterns without constituting investment advice.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer.
To compare these two companies we present long-term analysis, their fundamental ratings and make comparative short-term technical analysis which are presented below. The conclusion is BURL is a Hold and DBI is a Buy.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
BURL’s FA Score shows that 1 FA rating(s) are green whileDBI’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s).
- BURL’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- DBI’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
BURL’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while DBI’s TA Score has 3 bullish TA indicator(s).
- BURL’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
- DBI’s TA Score: 3 bullish, 7 bearish.
Price Growth
BURL (@Apparel/Footwear Retail) experienced а -6.43% price change this week, while DBI (@Wholesale Distributors) price change was -6.12% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Apparel/Footwear Retail industry was -1.07%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -2.71%, and the average quarterly price growth was +3.50%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Wholesale Distributors industry was -0.59%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +2.89%, and the average quarterly price growth was +2.11%.
Reported Earning Dates
BURL is expected to report earnings on Aug 27, 2026.
DBI is expected to report earnings on Sep 10, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Apparel/Footwear Retail (-1.07% weekly)Companies in the apparel and/or footwear retail industry sell clothing, accessories and footwear, for different age groups and genders. The industry’s product categories could range from basics, such as underwear, to luxury items. Some retailers source items from wholesalers or an apparel brand to sell in their stores; some others are licensed to make and market their own retail goods under particular brands. Several companies outsource production of clothing to developing/emerging economies where labor costs are relatively inexpensive. Apparel retail is often influenced by fashion trends, and many companies feel the need to adapt to what’s “in vogue” to retain customers and attract new ones. A major disruption in this industry has been the burgeoning trend in digital shopping – to compete with rapidly growing e-commerce, even traditional retail players are upping the ante on their online platforms. Much of the products’ performance in apparel/footwear retail is cyclical, i.e., economic boom times encourage consumer spending, while recessions induce thriftiness among people. Some large-cap U.S. apparel/footwear retail companies include TJX Companies Inc., Ross Stores, Inc., Lululemon Athletica Inc. and Burlington Stores, Inc.
@Wholesale Distributors (-0.59% weekly)Companies in this industry handle the wholesale shipments for the manufacturer of a product. They have warehouses and distribution centers, and they ship products directly to the retailer. Digitization, increasing competition, emerging customer demand, and product innovation are some of shifts that the industry has been facing in recent times – something that is potentially creating needs/opportunities for business model revisions or transformations. Data, analytics, and technology are becoming increasingly important for whole distributors in anticipating and analyzing consumer needs, and therefore planning their business strategies accordingly. Fastenal Company, W.W. Grainger, Inc., Genuine Parts Company and Pool Corporation are some of the largest names in the business.
| BURL | DBI | BURL / DBI | |
| Capitalization | 19.8B | 280M | 7,071% |
| EBITDA | 1.33B | 133M | 998% |
| Gain YTD | 9.147 | -24.413 | -37% |
| P/E Ratio | 32.44 | 25.09 | 129% |
| Revenue | 11.9B | 2.9B | 410% |
| Total Cash | 747M | 50.1M | 1,491% |
| Total Debt | 5.87B | 1.23B | 479% |
BURL | DBI | ||
|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 66 | 11 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 79 Overvalued | 1 Undervalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 100 | 100 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 25 | 85 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 53 | 50 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 53 | 73 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 90 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
DBI's Valuation (1) in the Apparel Or Footwear Retail industry is significantly better than the same rating for BURL (79). This means that DBI’s stock grew significantly faster than BURL’s over the last 12 months.
DBI's Profit vs Risk Rating (100) in the Apparel Or Footwear Retail industry is in the same range as BURL (100). This means that DBI’s stock grew similarly to BURL’s over the last 12 months.
BURL's SMR Rating (25) in the Apparel Or Footwear Retail industry is somewhat better than the same rating for DBI (85). This means that BURL’s stock grew somewhat faster than DBI’s over the last 12 months.
DBI's Price Growth Rating (50) in the Apparel Or Footwear Retail industry is in the same range as BURL (53). This means that DBI’s stock grew similarly to BURL’s over the last 12 months.
BURL's P/E Growth Rating (53) in the Apparel Or Footwear Retail industry is in the same range as DBI (73). This means that BURL’s stock grew similarly to DBI’s over the last 12 months.
| BURL | DBI | |
|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 54% | N/A |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 73% | 2 days ago 82% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 66% | 2 days ago 82% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 64% | 2 days ago 84% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 69% | 2 days ago 82% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 73% | 2 days ago 77% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 8 days ago 72% | 3 days ago 80% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 6 days ago 67% | 15 days ago 84% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 72% | 2 days ago 90% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 2 days ago 78% | 2 days ago 76% |
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BURL and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, BURL has been loosely correlated with ROST. These tickers have moved in lockstep 50% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if BURL jumps, then ROST could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To BURL | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BURL | 100% | -4.65% | ||
| ROST - BURL | 50% Loosely correlated | -0.14% | ||
| DBI - BURL | 41% Loosely correlated | -5.64% | ||
| TJX - BURL | 40% Loosely correlated | -0.87% | ||
| BOOT - BURL | 34% Loosely correlated | -1.31% | ||
| CAL - BURL | 33% Loosely correlated | -4.40% | ||
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DBI and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, DBI has been closely correlated with CAL. These tickers have moved in lockstep 68% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if DBI jumps, then CAL could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To DBI | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBI | 100% | -5.64% | ||
| CAL - DBI | 68% Closely correlated | -4.40% | ||
| DLTH - DBI | 64% Loosely correlated | +0.80% | ||
| GCO - DBI | 64% Loosely correlated | -4.13% | ||
| ZUMZ - DBI | 64% Loosely correlated | -0.32% | ||
| SHOE - DBI | 64% Loosely correlated | -8.39% | ||
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