Erste Group Bank Raises Earnings Estimates for Ross Stores

Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank boosted their FY2027 earnings per share estimates for Ross Stores in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 24th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the apparel retailer will earn $7.36 per share for the year, up from their previous estimate of $6.52. The consensus estimate for Ross Stores’ current full-year earnings is $6.17 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Ross Stores’ FY2028 earnings at $8.14 EPS.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The apparel retailer reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $6.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.42 billion. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 36.70% and a net margin of 9.43%.The business’s revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.65 EPS.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on ROST. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $214.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Ross Stores from $215.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Zacks Research lowered Ross Stores from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $240.00 price objective on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Thursday. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $208.29.

Ross Stores Stock Down 0.8%

Shares of NASDAQ ROST opened at $214.30 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $200.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $178.09. The company has a market capitalization of $69.32 billion, a PE ratio of 32.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.99 and a beta of 0.97. Ross Stores has a 12-month low of $124.07 and a 12-month high of $217.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Ross Stores Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a $0.445 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Ross Stores’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. This represents a $1.78 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 26.93%.

Insider Transactions at Ross Stores

In related news, CMO Karen Sykes sold 2,556 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $213.91, for a total transaction of $546,753.96. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 103,945 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,234,874.95. This trade represents a 2.40% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Patricia H. Mueller sold 1,881 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $213.13, for a total value of $400,897.53. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 2,159 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $460,147.67. This represents a 46.56% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.20% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ross Stores

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 7,000.0% in the 4th quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 142 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the last quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Ross Stores in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. American National Bank & Trust bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the third quarter valued at $26,000. Bard Associates Inc. bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, City Holding Co. raised its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 1,080.0% during the fourth quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 177 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares during the period. 86.86% of the stock is 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.