Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) Releases Quarterly Earnings Results, Beats Expectations By $0.12 EPS

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday. The apparel retailer reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.94 by $0.12, Zacks reports. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 38.42% and a net margin of 9.74%.

Ross Stores Trading Down 2.4%

Shares of NASDAQ ROST traded down $5.70 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $228.99. The stock had a trading volume of 4,893,380 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,717,548. The firm has a market cap of $73.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.86. Ross Stores has a twelve month low of $143.39 and a twelve month high of $257.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.54. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $234.03 and its 200 day moving average price is $221.46.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.445 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $1.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 24.86%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ross Stores

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of ROST. Virtus Advisers LLC bought a new position in Ross Stores during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Quarry LP boosted its position in Ross Stores by 1,124.0% during the fourth quarter. Quarry LP now owns 306 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the fourth quarter valued at $60,000. Quattro Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth about $70,000. Finally, Johnson Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Ross Stores by 189.1% during the 4th quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 396 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $71,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares during the period. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Ross Stores News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ross Stores’ first-quarter performance provided a strong foundation, with the company posting its strongest comparable-store sales growth in its 40-year history. Investors are looking for evidence that the momentum is continuing into the second quarter. Live: Will Ross Crush Q2 Earnings Tonight After Its Record Q1?
• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.445 per share, payable September 30 to shareholders of record September 8. The dividend supports investor returns, although the annualized yield is modest at approximately 0.8%. Ross Stores Announces Quarterly Dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts generally expect second-quarter earnings per share of roughly $1.94–$1.95 and revenue of about $6.15–$6.16 billion. The company also opened 47 new stores, highlighting ongoing expansion. Ross Stores Earnings Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Shares were trading near their 52-week high before the report, leaving less room for disappointment. Options markets implied a potential move of about 6.94% around earnings, signaling elevated volatility and concern that results or guidance may not exceed already-optimistic expectations. Retail Earnings Implied Moves

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ROST has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Ross Stores from $248.00 to $251.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Ross Stores from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Morgan Stanley set a $231.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Wednesday, August 5th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Ross Stores from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on Ross Stores from $261.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $244.76.

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.