Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Citigroup Analyst Says

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) had its target price lifted by Citigroup from $261.00 to $270.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a “buy” rating on the apparel retailer’s stock. Citigroup’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 16.48% from the company’s current price.

ROST has been the subject of several other reports. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $290.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $245.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Friday. UBS Group set a $232.00 target price on Ross Stores in a research report on Friday. Barclays lifted their target price on Ross Stores from $205.00 to $221.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $240.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $223.00.

Ross Stores Trading Up 6.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:ROST traded up $14.61 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $231.80. 1,650,287 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,552,146. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $218.62 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $196.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.04. The stock has a market cap of $74.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.87. Ross Stores has a fifty-two week low of $124.49 and a fifty-two week high of $235.80.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 21st. The apparel retailer reported $2.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.73 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.64 billion. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 36.70% and a net margin of 9.43%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 20.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.47 EPS. Ross Stores has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-7.740 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.850-1.930 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Ross Stores will post 7.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Ross Stores

In other news, CMO Karen Sykes sold 5,506 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $213.40, for a total transaction of $1,174,980.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 104,648 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $22,331,883.20. The trade was a 5.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Michael J. Hartshorn sold 15,813 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $214.91, for a total value of $3,398,371.83. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer directly owned 116,028 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,935,577.48. This represents a 11.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 25,756 shares of company stock valued at $5,521,004. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ross Stores

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ROST. Woodline Partners LP grew its position in shares of Ross Stores by 39.9% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 27,875 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $3,562,000 after buying an additional 7,951 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. grew its position in shares of Ross Stores by 23.5% during the first quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 615 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Ross Stores by 35.8% during the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 10,581 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $1,350,000 after purchasing an additional 2,792 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its stake in Ross Stores by 1.0% during the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 150,491 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $19,200,000 after purchasing an additional 1,508 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Main Street Financial Solutions LLC lifted its stake in Ross Stores by 2.2% during the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 12,580 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $1,605,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. 86.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Ross Stores

Here are the key news stories impacting Ross Stores this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ross Stores reported Q1 EPS of $2.02, well above estimates, and revenue of $6.01 billion, also ahead of forecasts. Ross Stores Reports Robust First Quarter Sales and Earnings Results, Significantly Exceeding Guidance
• Positive Sentiment: Comparable sales rose 17% year over year, showing strong demand at Ross stores as shoppers continue trading down for value. Rost Stores Q1 Earnings & Sales Beat Estimates, Comp Up 17% Y/Y
• Positive Sentiment: Management raised fiscal 2026 EPS guidance and increased its comparable sales outlook, signaling confidence in continued momentum. Ross Stores Lifts Outlook as Sales Jump
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary say the stock is benefiting from a broader theme of resilient off-price retail, with Ross and TJX seen as structural winners in a cautious consumer environment. Ross Stores, TJX Earnings Show Off-Price Is On Target Amid High Gas Prices
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary warns that tougher comparisons lie ahead, which could make it harder for Ross Stores to keep delivering the same pace of growth. Ross Stores: Q1 Was A Great Quarter, But There Are Tougher Comps Ahead

About Ross Stores

Ross Stores, Inc (NASDAQ: ROST) is an American off‑price retailer headquartered in Dublin, California, that operates the Ross Dress for Less and dd’s DISCOUNTS store formats. The company sells a broad assortment of apparel, footwear, home fashions, accessories and other soft goods, positioning itself as a value-oriented destination for brand‑name and fashion merchandise at reduced prices.

Ross’s business model centers on opportunistic buying of excess inventory, closeouts, cancelled orders and overstocks from manufacturers, department stores and other suppliers.