Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) Releases Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Thursday morning. The company provided EPS guidance of 1.750-1.830 for the period, compared to the consensus EPS estimate of 1.740. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Ross Stores also updated its FY 2026 guidance to 8.610-8.770 EPS.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ROST has been the topic of several research reports. Citigroup reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Friday. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Tuesday. Wall Street Zen lowered Ross Stores from a “strong-buy” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, June 20th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $290.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Morgan Stanley set a $231.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Wednesday, August 5th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $244.76.

Ross Stores Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ROST opened at $228.99 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $233.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $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 has a twelve month low of $143.39 and a twelve month high of $257.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $73.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.98, a PEG ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 0.86.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The apparel retailer reported $2.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 firm had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.56 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 13.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Ross Stores will post 7.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

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

Ross Stores News Summary

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

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. DV Equities LLC acquired a new position in Ross Stores in the 4th quarter worth $81,000. Haverford Trust Co grew its stake in shares of Ross Stores by 16.7% during the fourth quarter. Haverford Trust Co now owns 672 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $121,000 after acquiring an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Banco BTG Pactual S.A. acquired a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the fourth quarter valued at about $204,000. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT increased its position in shares of Ross Stores by 38.4% during the fourth quarter. Zions Bancorporation National Association UT now owns 790 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $142,000 after acquiring an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in shares of Ross Stores by 93.5% during the third quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 1,045 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $159,000 after acquiring an additional 505 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.86% of the company’s stock.

Ross Stores Company Profile

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.