BURL vs TJX: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. BURL and TJX share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined BURL and TJX exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Burlington Stores runs 1,242 off-price retail stores across the United States, selling branded apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty and home goods at prices set well under what department stores charge for the same labels. The buying model is opportunistic: merchants pick up closeout lots, cancelled orders and packaway inventory from vendors, then flow it to stores as the season fits. Nothing is guaranteed to be on the rack next week, and that scarcity is the point of the format. The chain grew out of Burlington Coat Factory, and the operating subsidiary still carries that name, though outerwear is now a modest slice of the mix. Under CEO Michael O'Sullivan, who arrived in 2019, the company has moved to smaller store boxes, cut comparable-store inventory levels, widened the brand assortment and pushed hard on openings, many of them leases picked up out of other retailers' bankruptcies.

Full BURL guide

TJX Companies operates the largest off-price retail business in the world. Brands include T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, HomeSense, Sierra (off-price outdoor), and TK Maxx internationally. The model is opportunistic buying: TJX merchandise teams buy branded and designer apparel and home goods at deep discounts from manufacturers, brands, and other retailers (overstock, cancellations, end-of-season). These products are then sold at 20-60% below department store prices.

Full TJX guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• BURL drivers: Store growth on other retailers' real estate; The margin gap with TJX and Ross.
• TJX drivers: Consumer trade-down driving traffic; International expansion.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The full-year plan assumes comparable store sales of only 2% to 4% after a 6% first quarter, and the second-quarter guide of 1% to 3% points to deliberate deceleration, so a strong start does not carry the year by itself. For TJX, if consumer pressure eases significantly, the off-price trade-down dynamic moderates.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick BURL if you believe its drivers more; TJX if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the BURL and TJX guides.

BURL. Trailing twelve-month revenue of roughly $11.9 billion produced about $624 million of GAAP net income, or ~$9.72 per diluted share, while management guides fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS to $11.45 to $11.80. The gap between the two mostly reflects expenses on bankruptcy-acquired leases plus the $15 million charge from retiring convertible notes in the first quarter. At about $337 the shares carry a higher trailing multiple than either TJX or Ross Stores despite thinner margins, which is the premium attached to the catch-up case; second-quarter results are due in late August 2026.

TJX. TJX trades at a premium to traditional department stores and apparel retailers, reflecting the counter-cyclical model durability and consistent execution. The valuation is supported by sustained same-store sales growth even during periods of consumer pressure.

Headline figures (approximate, August 2026): BURL shows revenue (ttm) ~$11.9B, net income / diluted eps (ttm) ~$624M / ~$9.72, latest quarter (13 weeks ended may 2, 2026) Net sales ~$2.85B, up 14%; comps up 6%; adjusted EPS ~$2.10, fiscal 2026 adjusted eps guidance ~$11.45 to ~$11.80, vs ~$10.17 last year; TJX shows revenue (ttm) ~$58 billion, operating margin ~12%, net income (ttm) ~$5 billion, eps (ttm) ~$4.30.

BURL and TJX are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined BURL and TJX exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.