Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) Sets New 12-Month High Following Analyst Upgrade

Shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday after Zacks Research upgraded the stock from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating. The company traded as high as $192.38 and last traded at $192.0140, with a volume of 326093 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $191.44.

ROST has been the topic of a number of other reports. Bank of America raised their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $170.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Wall Street Zen raised Ross Stores from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 15th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their target price on Ross Stores from $170.00 to $174.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Ross Stores currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $186.41.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ross Stores

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Donaldson Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth approximately $272,000. Spire Wealth Management lifted its holdings in Ross Stores by 50.1% in the fourth quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 821 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $148,000 after buying an additional 274 shares during the period. Canoe Financial LP boosted its position in Ross Stores by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Canoe Financial LP now owns 792,576 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $142,775,000 after acquiring an additional 2,199 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its holdings in Ross Stores by 94.9% during the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 23,930 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $4,311,000 after acquiring an additional 11,655 shares during the period. Finally, Pallas Capital Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Ross Stores by 18.0% in the 4th quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 6,459 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $1,164,000 after acquiring an additional 987 shares in the last quarter. 86.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ross Stores Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.52. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $177.17 and a 200-day moving average price of $157.07. The company has a market capitalization of $62.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.97, a P/E/G ratio of 3.69 and a beta of 1.01.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 20th. The apparel retailer reported $1.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.20. The business had revenue of $5.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.38 billion. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 36.75% and a net margin of 9.47%.The firm’s revenue was up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.48 earnings per share. 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. Research analysts predict that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 9th were given a $0.405 dividend. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 9th. 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.