Ross Stores, Inc. $ROST Shares Purchased by Fenimore Asset Management Inc

Fenimore Asset Management Inc boosted its holdings in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 0.0% during the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 1,605,116 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after buying an additional 575 shares during the period. Ross Stores makes up 4.1% of Fenimore Asset Management Inc’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Fenimore Asset Management Inc’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $204,781,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Golden State Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Ross Stores by 50.7% in the first quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 217 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA purchased a new position in Ross Stores during the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 372.5% in the 1st quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 241 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the last quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Ross Stores by 36.6% during the 1st quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 280 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the period. Finally, Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the 2nd quarter valued at $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.86% of the company’s stock.

Ross Stores Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of Ross Stores stock opened at $152.64 on Monday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $147.38 and a 200 day moving average price of $140.16. Ross Stores, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $122.36 and a fifty-two week high of $158.69. The firm has a market cap of $49.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.23, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, August 21st. The apparel retailer reported $1.56 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.54 by $0.02. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 37.37% and a net margin of 9.60%.The company had revenue of $5.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.54 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.59 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 9th were issued a dividend of $0.405 per share. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 9th. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio is 25.71%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently weighed in on ROST shares. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and issued a $160.00 target price (up from $150.00) on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Monday, August 18th. Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Friday, August 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Ross Stores from $165.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 28th. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $156.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 22nd. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, August 22nd. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $160.67.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CMO Karen Sykes sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.76, for a total transaction of $607,040.00. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 106,413 shares in the company, valued at $16,149,236.88. This represents a 3.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Karen Fleming sold 2,932 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $149.09, for a total transaction of $437,131.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 88,335 shares in the company, valued at $13,169,865.15. This represents a 3.21% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 46,283 shares of company stock valued at $6,789,418. Company insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Ross Stores Profile

Ross Stores, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates off-price retail apparel and home fashion stores under the Ross Dress for Less and dd’s DISCOUNTS brand names in the United States. Its stores primarily offer apparel, accessories, footwear, and home fashions. The company’s Ross Dress for Less stores sell its products at department and specialty stores to middle income households; and dd’s DISCOUNTS stores sell its products at department and discount stores for households with moderate income.