Madison Asset Management LLC Reduces Holdings in Ross Stores, Inc. $ROST

Madison Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,593,021 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after selling 66,066 shares during the period. Ross Stores makes up 2.7% of Madison Asset Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Madison Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $242,761,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Aspect Partners LLC increased its holdings in Ross Stores by 251.7% during the 2nd quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 204 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. American National Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Ross Stores by 162.6% during the third quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 239 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in Ross Stores in the 2nd quarter valued at $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.86% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price objective on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Monday, December 1st. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Erste Group Bank initiated coverage on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Friday, October 31st. They issued a “buy” rating for the company. Telsey Advisory Group lifted their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $160.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Ross Stores from $188.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $189.94.

Ross Stores Stock Performance

NASDAQ ROST opened at $192.33 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $62.21 billion, a PE ratio of 30.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.37 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.52. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 52-week low of $122.36 and a 52-week high of $194.92. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $185.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $165.02.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The apparel retailer reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.20. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.47% and a return on equity of 36.75%. The firm had revenue of $5.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.38 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.48 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. Ross Stores has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.380-6.46 EPS and its Q4 2025 guidance at 1.770-1.85 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 EPS for the current year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 9th were paid a $0.405 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 9th. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Ross Stores’s payout ratio is presently 25.31%.

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.