Buckle Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Buckle Inc (BKE) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Buckle Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 1,313M vs 57,794M combined for its competitors (2.2% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-12.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs decelerating (-12.4%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Buckle Inc generated 6.1% revenue growth year over year in Q1 2026, vs 6.2% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 16.3% net margin compares with 9.3% for the peer group.
- Scale: Buckle Inc ranks #9 of 23 companies by market capitalization in the Retail Apparel industry, holding 0.8% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Buckle Inc accounted for 2.2% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 2.2% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.16M compares with $0.18M for the peer group (0.9x).
- Structure: Buckle Inc operates in the following segments: Reportable.
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
BKE Sales vs. its Competitors, Q1 2026
Buckle Inc reported revenue growth of 6.07 % year on year in Q1 2026, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 6.24 %.
With a net margin of 16.25 %, Buckle Inc achieved higher profitability than its competitors (9.27 %).
Buckle Inc generated 2.23 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 2.23 % a year earlier.
API endpoints for this dataset
Buckle Inc vs. its Competitors, Q1 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in Buckle Inc reports; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Buckle Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Buckle Inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (11) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (6) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Buckle Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Retail Apparel industry grew revenue 3.1% year over year, combined, vs 6.1% for Buckle Inc. Buckle Inc's share of combined industry revenue moved from 0.60% to 0.62%, a gain of 0.02 percentage points.
Buckle Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buckle Inc | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Competitors combined (13) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (14) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 0.00 % (0 of 8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
BKE Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
BKE Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
BKE Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
BKE Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tilly s Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Abercrombie and Fitch Co | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Urban Outfitters Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Guess Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | American Eagle Outfitters Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Buckle Inc's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Buckle Inc's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Buckle Inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Buckle Inc |
2,139.79 | 1,313.36 |
 Lululemon Athletica Inc |
12,510.30 | 11,093.25 |
 Gap Inc |
8,119.44 | 15,400.00 |
 Viper Energy Inc |
7,869.43 | 2,041.00 |
 Urban Outfitters Inc |
7,340.74 | 6,471.58 |
 Abercrombie and Fitch Co |
6,830.54 | 5,282.80 |
| SUBTOTAL | 59,709.95 | 62,250.59 |
Sign in to see all competitors of Buckle Inc.
Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Buckle Inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Buckle Inc's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Buckle Inc reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Tilly’s | Company report | 85% |
| Urban Outfitters | Company report | 85% |
| Boot Barn | Company report | 85% |
| Nordstrom | Company report | 85% |
| American Eagle Outfitters | Company report | 85% |
| Zumiez | Company report | 85% |
| Abercrombie & Fitch | Company report | 85% |
| Dick's Sporting Goods | Company report | 85% |
| Free People | Company report | 85% |
| Lulus | Company report | 85% |
| Hollister | Company report | 85% |
| Maurices | Company report | 85% |
| Scheels | Company report | 85% |
| Altar'd State | Company report | 85% |
| Dillards | Company report | 85% |
| Gap | Company report | 85% |
| Macy’s | Company report | 85% |
| PacSun | Company report | 85% |
| Zara | Company report | 85% |
| Journey's | Company report | 85% |
| Garage | Company report | 85% |
| Madewell | Company report | 85% |
| Anthropologie | Company report | 85% |
| Forever 21 | Company report | 85% |
| Francesca's | Company report | 85% |
| Express | Company report | 85% |
| Revolve | Company report | 85% |
| Pacific Sunwear | Company report | 85% |
| Gap Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Exp Oldco Winddown Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Chico s Fas Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Bath and Body Works Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Guess Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Destination Xl Group Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Buckle Inc's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Buckle Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Buckle Inc | Reportable 93.90 % |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc | Americas 71.41 % |
| Viper Energy Inc | Third Party Operated Properties 53.86 % |
| Urban Outfitters Inc | Retail Operations 85.72 % |
| Bath and Body Works Inc | Reportable 100.00 % |
| Boot Barn Holdings Inc | Single Reportable Segment 100.00 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Buckle Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckle Inc | 2,140 | 164,170 | 27,679 |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc | 12,510 | 284,442 | 36,358 |
| Gap Inc | 8,119 | 194,937 | 12,177 |
| Viper Energy Inc | 7,869 | 127,562,500 | 6,437,500 |
| Urban Outfitters Inc | 7,341 | 208,761 | 18,357 |
| Abercrombie and Fitch Co | 6,831 | 122,287 | 11,606 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 57,570 | 183,837 | 14,929 |
Buckle Inc's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent report. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Lululemon Athletica Inc | Americas 71.41 % |
| Gap Inc | United States 88.16 % |
| Urban Outfitters Inc | Geographic Distribution Domestic 87.31 % |
| Abercrombie and Fitch Co | Americas 76.48 % |
| Bath and Body Works Inc | International 9.87 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
Buckle Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 23 companies in Buckle Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Buckle Inc ranks #9 of 23 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.79 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 3,969, indicating a highly concentrated market structure (see Methodology: Market Structure & Concentration).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Tjx Companies Inc | 151,536 | 56.30 % |
| 2 | Ross Stores Inc | 74,233 | 27.58 % |
| 3 | Victorias Secret and Co | 9,184 | 3.41 % |
| 4 | Gap Inc | 8,119 | 3.02 % |
| 5 | Urban Outfitters Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Abercrombie and Fitch Co | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Boot Barn Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | American Eagle Outfitters Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Buckle Inc | 2,140 | 0.79 % |
| 10 | Citi Trends inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Buckle Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-11-06.
Buckle Inc's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Gap Inc | 8,119 | -5.59 % |
| 5 | Urban Outfitters Inc | 7,341 | 34.47 % |
| 6 | Abercrombie and Fitch Co | 6,831 | 122.14 % |
| 7 | Boot Barn Holdings Inc | 4,008 | -25.69 % |
| 8 | American Eagle Outfitters Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 9 | Buckle Inc | 2,140 | -23.14 % |
| 10 | Citi Trends inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 11 | Genesco Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 12 | Designer Brands Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 13 | Lands End Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 14 | Zumiez Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Buckle Inc's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-11-06. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Buckle Inc's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Retail Apparel industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (46 companies). See the full Retail Apparel industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 48.91 % | 34.48 % (avg) | +14.4 pp |
| Operating Margin | 21.12 % | industry median | +19.1 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 24.18 % | 5.84 % (avg) | +18.3 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 3.70 % | 2.43 % (avg) | +1.3 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Buckle Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Retail Apparel industry average (46 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Retail Apparel industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 11.9x | 17.8x | -6.0x |
| EV / EBITDA | 8.3x | 9.0x | -0.7x |
| P/B | 5.7x | 3.3x | +2.4x |
| Return on Equity | 47.36 % | industry aggregate | 9.93 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 17.65 % | 2.23 % (avg) | 15.42 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Buckle Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | -3.05 % | 1.67 % | 0.11 % | 43.64 % | 3.91 % | -6.25 % | -3.51 % | 6.58 % |
| Operating Margin | 13.66 % | 14.61 % | 18.64 % | 25.92 % | 24.39 % | 21.49 % | 19.84 % | 20.16 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 14.21 % | 11.84 % | 15.59 % | 30.28 % | 33.08 % | 24.59 % | 20.53 % | 16.94 % |
| P/E | 9.9x | 11.9x | 11.5x | 8.6x | 8.5x | 8.6x | 12.2x | 13.5x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Buckle Inc's Strategic Group Map
Buckle Inc is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC are labeled. See Methodology: Strategic Group Map for how this chart is built.
Buckle Inc's trailing-12-month revenue growth of 7.0% and operating margin of 21.1% compares with an average of 6.9% growth and 11.7% margin across its 8 closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC -- Buckle Inc sits above that peer average on growth and above it on margin.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Buckle Inc's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
See Methodology: BCG Growth-Share Matrix for how relative share and growth are calculated and thresholded.
Buckle Inc falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.01x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue -0.4% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution. A caveat worth reading alongside this chart: The Tjx Companies Inc alone holds 56% of this industry's market cap. In an industry this dominated by one leader, the framework will place nearly every OTHER company in "Dog" or "Question Mark" purely because relative share is measured against that leader, regardless of how strong those other companies actually are on their own fundamentals. Check the Profitability, Valuation and Financial Strength sections above before treating this quadrant label as a verdict.
Buckle Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | Low | Industry HHI of 3,969 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 3.70 % vs industry average 2.43 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on Buckle Inc's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
Buckle Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
Buckle Inc falls in the Medium attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Selective.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Buckle Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Operating margin 19.1 points above the industry median.
- Return on equity 9.9 points above the industry aggregate.
Weaknesses
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-12.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.01x).
Opportunities
- Trades at a lower P/E than the industry average (11.9x vs 17.8x) despite a higher return on invested capital -- a possible re-rating opportunity.
Threats
- Industry dominated by The Tjx Companies Inc , holding 56.30 % of industry market cap.
- Tracked peer group's revenue run-rate is broadly decelerating (-12.4% annualized).
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
Buckle Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckle Inc | - | 2.07 | - |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc | 0.01 | 2.20 | - |
| Gap Inc | 0.76 | 1.74 | 0.41 |
| Viper Energy Inc | 0.75 | 3.13 | 0.19 |
| Urban Outfitters Inc | 0.35 | 1.52 | - |
| Abercrombie and Fitch Co | 0.59 | 1.44 | - |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Buckle Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckle Inc | Q1 2026 | +6.1 % | +33.2 % |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc | Q2 2026 | -4.3 % | -11.2 % |
| Gap Inc | Q1 2026 | +1.0 % | +75.6 % |
| Viper Energy Inc | Q2 2026 | +127.9 % | +294.0 % |
| Urban Outfitters Inc | Q2 2026 | +10.5 % | +67.3 % |
| Abercrombie and Fitch Co | Q1 2026 | +1.5 % | -16.7 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +5.5 % | +71.0 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Buckle Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckle Inc | Q1 2026 | +6.9 % | +28.6 % |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc | Q2 2026 | -9.0 % | -15.9 % |
| Gap Inc | Q1 2026 | +3.2 % | +62.7 % |
| Viper Energy Inc | Q2 2026 | - | - |
| Urban Outfitters Inc | Q2 2026 | +0.3 % | +21.9 % |
| Abercrombie and Fitch Co | Q1 2026 | -0.8 % | +20.8 % |
Buckle Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckle Inc | 21.36% | 20.06% | 47.36% |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc | 16.97% | 21.73% | 29.73% |
| Gap Inc | 7.81% | 16.14% | 26.47% |
| Viper Energy Inc | 0.82% | 0.57% | 0.98% |
| Urban Outfitters Inc | 11.49% | 13.54% | 20.72% |
| Abercrombie and Fitch Co | 14.56% | 21.77% | 37.05% |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Buckle Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Buckle Inc | 9.62 | 1.63 |
| Lululemon Athletica Inc | 9.13 | 1.13 |
| Gap Inc | 8.46 | 0.53 |
| Viper Energy Inc | 2,031.00 | 3.86 |
| Urban Outfitters Inc | 13.21 | 1.13 |
| Abercrombie and Fitch Co | 14.60 | 1.29 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 11.55 | 0.96 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.