Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) Insider Stephen Brinkley Sells 6,424 Shares

Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) insider Stephen Brinkley sold 6,424 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $229.66, for a total value of $1,475,335.84. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 51,665 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,865,383.90. This represents a 11.06% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Ross Stores Price Performance

Ross Stores stock opened at $226.26 on Wednesday. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 52-week low of $143.39 and a 52-week high of $257.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 27.39, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $236.74 and a 200-day simple moving average of $226.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The apparel retailer reported $2.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.71. The business had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.16 billion. Ross Stores had a net margin of 10.85% and a return on equity of 39.29%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 13.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.56 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 8.15 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be paid a $0.445 dividend. This represents a $1.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 8th. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.55%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on ROST. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price target on Ross Stores from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 14th. Zacks Research lowered Ross Stores from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “buy” rating and issued a $294.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Friday, August 21st. Barclays raised their target price on Ross Stores from $260.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Ross Stores from $265.00 to $285.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $263.76.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ross Stores

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ROST. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 12.0% in the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 16,361 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $3,482,000 after buying an additional 1,758 shares during the period. Tidal Investments LLC boosted its holdings in Ross Stores by 14.2% during the 2nd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 69,580 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $14,810,000 after acquiring an additional 8,673 shares during the period. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC boosted its holdings in Ross Stores by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Management Advisory Group LLC now owns 3,447 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $734,000 after acquiring an additional 95 shares during the period. NorthRock Partners LLC grew its position in Ross Stores by 10.2% in the 2nd quarter. NorthRock Partners LLC now owns 2,663 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $567,000 after acquiring an additional 247 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RFG Advisory LLC grew its position in Ross Stores by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 1,430 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $304,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. 86.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Ross Stores

Ross Stores, Inc (NASDAQ: ROST) is an off-price retailer that operates Ross Dress for Less and dd’s DISCOUNTS stores. The company sells a broad selection of apparel, accessories, footwear and home fashion merchandise for women, men and children, generally at prices below those of traditional department and specialty stores.

Ross Stores follows an opportunistic buying model, purchasing name-brand, designer and other merchandise from manufacturers and retailers at discounted prices. Its product assortment changes frequently and can include clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry, beauty products, furniture, bedding, home décor and other household goods.

Founded in 1950, the company is headquartered in Dublin, California, and serves customers primarily through its store network across the United States and Guam.