Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) Updates Q4 2026 Earnings Guidance

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) issued an update on its fourth quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.170-2.260 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.120. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Ross Stores also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 8.610-8.770 EPS.

Ross Stores Price Performance

Ross Stores stock opened at $228.99 on Friday. Ross Stores has a 12-month low of $143.39 and a 12-month high of $257.00. The stock has a market cap of $73.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.98, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $233.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $221.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The apparel retailer reported $2.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.95 by $0.71. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 38.42% and a net margin of 9.74%.The company had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.56 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Ross Stores will post 7.81 earnings per share for the current year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be issued a $0.445 dividend. This represents a $1.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 8th. Ross Stores’s payout ratio is 24.86%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of Ross Stores from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $230.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Barclays restated an “overweight” rating on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Friday. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Friday. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $244.76.

Trending Headlines about Ross Stores

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong Q2 results: Revenue rose 13.3% year over year to approximately $6.26 billion, ahead of the $6.16 billion consensus estimate. Diluted EPS reached $2.66, up from $1.56 a year ago and well above the roughly $1.95 analyst forecast. Comparable-store sales increased 10%, supported by higher customer traffic. Ross Stores raises annual profit forecast again on discounted apparel demand
• Positive Sentiment: Guidance raised: Ross increased fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to $8.61-$8.77, substantially above the prior outlook and the cited $7.31 consensus estimate. Third-quarter EPS guidance of $1.75-$1.83 and fourth-quarter guidance of $2.17-$2.26 also exceed consensus expectations. Ross Stores Reports Strong Second Quarter Sales and Earnings Results
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion and customer momentum: The company opened 47 stores during the quarter and raised its fiscal-year opening plan to 115 locations. Management cited gains among both existing and new customers, reinforcing expectations that the off-price value proposition is attracting shoppers from mainstream retailers. Ross Posts 13% Sales Jump as Inflation Drives Shoppers to Off-Price Retailers
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation remains a concern: BTIG reiterated a Hold rating, arguing that strong execution is already reflected in ROST’s premium valuation. Investors may therefore require continued earnings beats and guidance increases to support further upside. Analyst Reiterates Hold on Ross Stores
• Negative Sentiment: One-time benefit and insider selling: Results included approximately $253 million in tariff refunds, which may not recur. Separately, reported insider activity over the past six months consisted of sales rather than purchases, modestly tempering the otherwise bullish reaction.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ross Stores

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Compound Planning Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ross Stores by 22.0% during the fourth quarter. Compound Planning Inc. now owns 2,785 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $502,000 after purchasing an additional 502 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,726,610 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $851,451,000 after purchasing an additional 70,678 shares in the last quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $239,000. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its stake in Ross Stores by 37.1% during the 4th quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 72,620 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $13,082,000 after buying an additional 19,669 shares during the period. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its stake in Ross Stores by 26.2% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 57,271 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $10,317,000 after buying an additional 11,894 shares during the period. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.