Card Factory PLC (GB:CARD)
LSE:CARD
Want to see GB:CARD full AI Analyst Report?
Top Page
Card Factory
(LSE:CARD)
Select Model
Select Model
Rating:73Outperform
Price Target:
81.00 p
▲(16.88% Upside)
Action:Upgraded
Date:05/13/26
The score is driven primarily by solid financial performance (stronger balance sheet and healthy cash generation) and supportive valuation (low P/E and high dividend yield). Offsetting these positives are the recent 2026 deterioration in margins and free cash flow and a mixed technical backdrop with the stock still well below its 200-day average.
Positive Factors
Improved leverage & balance sheet
Material debt reduction and a modest debt-to-equity position give the company durable financial flexibility. A stronger balance sheet lowers refinancing risk, supports dividend policy and share of investment, and provides capacity to fund capex or weather demand shocks without urgent external financing.
Negative Factors
2026 margin & FCF deterioration
A clear step-down in margins and free cash flow in 2026 signals structural pressure on profitability—whether from cost inflation, pricing limits, or mix shifts. Persisting margin compression would reduce internal funding, weaken returns and constrain strategic options like expansion or sustained shareholder distributions.
Read all positive and negative factors
Positive Factors
Negative Factors
Improved leverage & balance sheet
Material debt reduction and a modest debt-to-equity position give the company durable financial flexibility. A stronger balance sheet lowers refinancing risk, supports dividend policy and share of investment, and provides capacity to fund capex or weather demand shocks without urgent external financing.
Read all positive factors
Card Factory (CARD) vs. iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF (EWC)
Market Cap
£220.29M
Dividend Yield7.08%
Average Volume (3M)1.06M
Price to Earnings (P/E)7.2
Beta (1Y)0.88
Revenue Growth7.41%
EPS Growth-34.98%
CountryUK
Employees10,521
SectorConsumer Cyclical
Sector Strength84
IndustrySpecialty Retail
Share Statistics
EPS (TTM)0.09
Shares Outstanding343,671,230
10 Day Avg. Volume1,026,318
30 Day Avg. Volume1,061,253
Financial Highlights & Ratios
PEG Ratio-0.21
Price to Book (P/B)0.66
Price to Sales (P/S)0.40
P/FCF Ratio2.56
Enterprise Value/Market CapN/A
Enterprise Value/RevenueN/A
Enterprise Value/Gross ProfitN/A
Enterprise Value/EbitdaN/A
Forecast
1Y Price Target
£116.67Price Target Upside68.35% Upside
Rating ConsensusModerate Buy
Number of Analyst Covering3
EPS Forecast (FY)0.13
Revenue Forecast (FY)£611.49M
Card Factory Business Overview & Revenue Model
Company Description
Operating as a specialist retailer of greeting cards within the United Kingdom, Card Factory plc manages its business through two distinct divisions: Card Factory and Getting Personal. The company handles the entire lifecycle of its products, from...
How the Company Makes Money
Card Factory makes money primarily by selling celebration-related products directly to consumers, with revenue generated across several channels. (1) Retail store sales: The core revenue stream comes from sales in its UK store estate, where greeti...
Card Factory Financial Statement Overview
Summary
Income Statement
72
Positive
Balance Sheet
84
Very Positive
Cash Flow
70
Positive
| Breakdown | Jan 2026 | Jan 2026 | Jan 2025 | Jan 2024 | Jan 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Income Statement | |||||
| Total Revenue | 582.70M | 542.50M | 510.90M | 463.40M | 364.40M |
| Gross Profit | 135.20M | 193.80M | 138.60M | 114.70M | 67.40M |
| EBITDA | 114.60M | 127.00M | 125.30M | 108.90M | 70.30M |
| Net Income | 31.20M | 47.80M | 49.50M | 44.20M | 8.10M |
Balance Sheet | |||||
| Total Assets | 660.90M | 615.60M | 552.10M | 537.20M | 536.00M |
| Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments | 18.80M | 16.50M | 11.30M | 11.70M | 38.30M |
| Total Debt | 208.50M | 184.40M | 145.80M | 172.70M | 230.30M |
| Total Liabilities | 306.40M | 268.70M | 236.30M | 269.00M | 316.40M |
| Stockholders Equity | 354.50M | 346.90M | 315.80M | 268.20M | 219.60M |
Cash Flow | |||||
| Free Cash Flow | 92.20M | 70.50M | 77.40M | 73.70M | 91.60M |
| Operating Cash Flow | 103.90M | 88.90M | 105.20M | 91.90M | 98.50M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -45.10M | -40.50M | -30.00M | -18.20M | -6.90M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -57.50M | -42.90M | -73.20M | -102.10M | -65.80M |
Card Factory Technical Analysis
Negative
69.30
Price Trends
64.31
Negative
64.42
Negative
75.21
Negative
Market Momentum
-0.09
Positive
41.86
Neutral
26.88
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For GB:CARD, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 69.3 is above the 20-day moving average (MA) of 65.95, above the 50-day MA of 64.31, and below the 200-day MA of 75.21, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.09 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 41.86 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 26.88 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for GB:CARD.
Card Factory Peers Comparison
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (61)
Name | Overall Rating | Market Cap | P/E Ratio | ROE | Dividend Yield | Revenue Growth | EPS Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
73 Outperform | £220.29M | 7.15 | 9.00% | 7.08% | 7.41% | -34.98% | |
65 Neutral | £1.63B | 10.92 | 105.88% | 3.99% | 4.39% | -1.37% | |
61 Neutral | $18.38B | 12.79 | -2.54% | 3.03% | 1.52% | -15.83% | |
56 Neutral | £661.16M | 15.12 | -113.93% | 1.40% | 3.94% | ― | |
53 Neutral | £44.37M | 4.70 | 63.25% | ― | -2.65% | -18.90% | |
47 Neutral | £72.89M | -0.86 | -56.70% | ― | -38.65% | -792.57% | |
44 Neutral | £631.84M | -4.10 | -90.46% | 4.48% | -30.52% | -2064.92% |
* Consumer Cyclical Sector Average
GB:CARD
Card Factory
63.60
-23.43
-26.93%
GB:DNLM
Dunelm Group
789.50
-304.90
-27.86%
GB:IGR
IG Design
80.00
-9.00
-10.11%
GB:SMWH
WH Smith
399.60
-665.62
-62.49%
GB:WRKS
TheWorks.co.uk plc
72.00
11.50
19.01%
GB:MOON
Moonpig Group Plc
218.00
-31.24
-12.53%
Card Factory Corporate Events
Business Operations and StrategyRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Card Factory updates market on executive share awards and total voting rights
Neutral
May 26, 2026
Card Factory has transferred just over 1.05 million ordinary shares out of treasury following the vesting of nil-cost restricted share options granted in 2023 under its long-term incentive plan, benefitting CEO Darcy Willson-Rymer, CFO Matthias Se...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Card Factory Advances Buyback, Cuts Free-Float Share Count
Positive
May 26, 2026
Card Factory has continued its share repurchase programme, buying back and cancelling a series of tranches of ordinary shares between 18 and 22 May 2026 through UBS’s London branch. The purchases, executed at prices mostly in the high‑...
Financial DisclosuresRegulatory Filings and ComplianceShareholder Meetings
Card Factory Publishes 2026 Annual Report and Sets Date for AGM
Neutral
May 21, 2026
Card Factory plc has published its Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 January 2026, along with the notice and proxy form for its 2026 Annual General Meeting. The AGM will be held on 25 June 2026 at the company’s registered offi...
Business Operations and StrategyExecutive/Board ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Cardfactory grants long-term incentive share awards to top executives
Positive
May 21, 2026
Cardfactory has granted new conditional share awards under its Long Term Incentive Plan to senior leadership, reinforcing its use of equity-based compensation to align management with shareholder interests. Chief executive Darcy Willson-Rymer rece...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Card Factory Advances Share Buyback, Cuts Free-Float Share Count
Positive
May 18, 2026
Card Factory plc has continued its share repurchase programme, buying back and cancelling a total of 454, a00 ordinary shares between 11 and 15 May 2026 through UBS AG London Branch. The purchases, executed at prices largely in the mid-60 pence ra...
Stock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Card Factory Cuts Share Count with Mid-May Buyback and Cancellation
Positive
May 18, 2026
Card Factory plc has repurchased and cancelled a series of its own ordinary shares between 11 and 15 May 2026 under its ongoing share buyback programme, with prices typically ranging in the mid-60 pence to 70 pence per share. Following these trans...
Other
Card Factory Senior Independent Director Increases Shareholding
Positive
May 14, 2026
Card Factory has disclosed that its Senior Independent Non-Executive Director, Pam Powell, bought 11,853 ordinary shares in the company at 67.1562 pence per share on 14 May 2026. The purchase, executed on the London Stock Exchange, increases Powel...
Executive/Board ChangesRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Card Factory Updates on CEO Share Award and Voting Rights
Neutral
May 12, 2026
Card Factory has transferred 439,009 ordinary shares out of treasury following the vesting and exercise of nil-cost Restricted Share options granted in 2022 under its Long Term Incentive Plan, benefiting CEO Darcy Willson-Rymer and other employees...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Card Factory Advances Buyback, Updates Share Capital and Free Float
Neutral
May 11, 2026
Card Factory plc has continued its share repurchase programme, buying back and cancelling a total of 319,654 ordinary shares between 5 and 8 May 2026 at prices mostly in the high-60 pence range. Following these transactions, the company’s is...
Stock BuybackRegulatory Filings and Compliance
Card Factory Cuts Free Float With Latest Share Buybacks
Positive
May 5, 2026
Card Factory has executed on its share repurchase programme, buying back and cancelling a total of 555,566 ordinary shares between 28 April and 1 May 2026 at prices mostly in the mid‑60 pence range. Following these transactions, the company&...
Business Operations and StrategyStock Buyback
Card Factory launches £15m share buyback to reduce share capital
Positive
Apr 28, 2026
Card Factory has launched an irrevocable, non-discretionary share repurchase programme of up to £15 million, funded from excess cash generated in FY26 under its capital allocation policy. The buyback, which starts immediately and runs until 3...
Business Operations and StrategyStock BuybackDividendsFinancial Disclosures
Card Factory grows sales but profits hit by weaker footfall as it accelerates digital and wholesale push
Neutral
Apr 28, 2026
Card Factory reported a 7.4% rise in revenue to £582.7m for the year to 31 January 2026, driven by acquisitions and modest store growth, but profits fell as weaker high street footfall hit peak-season trading. Adjusted profit before tax decli...
Business Operations and StrategyFinancial Disclosures
Card Factory Sets Date for Full-Year Results and Investor Presentation
Neutral
Apr 14, 2026
Card Factory said it will publish its preliminary results for the year ended 31 January 2026 on 28 April, a key update that will give investors and analysts fresh insight into trading performance and strategic progress. The company will host a cen...
Regulatory Filings and Compliance
Card Factory Updates Total Voting Rights and Share Capital Figures
Neutral
Apr 1, 2026
Card Factory plc has disclosed that its issued ordinary share capital consists of 351,595,922 ordinary shares of 1p each, with 5,717,911 of those shares held in treasury and not carrying voting rights. As a result, shareholders should use the rema...
Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Disclaimer
This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.