Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. Invests $97.20 Million in Ross Stores, Inc. $ROST

Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 456,651 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $97,198,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. owned about 0.14% of Ross Stores at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. purchased a new stake in Ross Stores in the second quarter valued at $3,741,000. Globeflex Capital L P purchased a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the 2nd quarter valued at about $151,000. Haverford Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the 2nd quarter valued at about $136,000. Bank of Nova Scotia purchased a new stake in shares of Ross Stores in the second quarter worth about $59,287,000. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ross Stores in the second quarter worth about $5,577,000. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ross Stores Price Performance

Ross Stores stock opened at $239.04 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $233.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $222.09. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 1 year low of $143.39 and a 1 year high of $257.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.61.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The apparel retailer reported $2.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.71. Ross Stores had a net margin of 10.85% and a return on equity of 39.29%. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations 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% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 8.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be paid a dividend of $0.445 per share. This represents a $1.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 8th. Ross Stores’s payout ratio is 21.55%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on ROST shares. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Ross Stores from $231.00 to $234.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Evercore set a $290.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Monday, July 6th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $290.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given 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 $263.76.

Key Headlines Impacting Ross Stores

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations: Ross reported diluted EPS of $2.66 versus the approximately $1.95 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 13.3% year over year to $6.26 billion, ahead of the $6.16 billion forecast. Comparable-store sales increased 10%, supported by stronger customer traffic, improved merchandising and higher margins. Ross Stores Q2 Earnings Top Estimates on Strong Sales Growth Momentum
• Positive Sentiment: Higher outlook signals continued momentum: Management raised fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to $8.61-$8.77, well above the prior outlook and the roughly $7.31 analyst consensus. Third- and fourth-quarter EPS guidance also came in above expectations. The company cited resilient demand for discounted apparel and accessories and raised its fiscal-year store-opening plan to 115 locations. Ross Stores raises annual profit forecast again on discounted apparel demand
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets: JPMorgan increased its target to $272 and maintained an Overweight rating, while Robert W. Baird raised its target to $270 and kept an Outperform rating. These revisions reinforce expectations that Ross is gaining market share from rivals. Analysts Boost Forecasts on Ross Stores
• Neutral Sentiment: Approximately $253 million of tariff refunds benefited second-quarter operating income, creating a potential comparison headwind when assessing underlying profitability. Ross Stores Q2 Sales Rise 13% as Diluted EPS Reaches $2.66
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG analyst Robert Drbul reiterated a Hold rating, indicating that strong execution may already be reflected in ROST’s premium valuation. Recent insider activity also showed sales but no purchases, a modest sentiment caution. Analyst Reiterates Hold on Ross Stores

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.