Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST – Free Report) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q1 2027 EPS estimates for shares of Ross Stores in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 17th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the apparel retailer will earn $1.64 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $1.57. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Ross Stores’ current full-year earnings is $6.17 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Ross Stores’ Q2 2027 earnings at $1.78 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.74 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.08 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $7.23 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $1.74 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.89 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $1.92 EPS, Q4 2028 earnings at $2.34 EPS, FY2028 earnings at $7.89 EPS and FY2029 earnings at $8.72 EPS.
Several other research firms also recently issued reports on ROST. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $221.00 price target on Ross Stores in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Ross Stores from $215.00 to $232.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $205.00 to $221.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $214.00 to $244.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Ross Stores has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $208.29.
Ross Stores Price Performance
Shares of NASDAQ ROST opened at $211.19 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $68.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.97. The business’s 50 day moving average is $198.40 and its 200-day moving average is $176.33. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. Ross Stores has a 1-year low of $122.36 and a 1-year high of $216.80.
Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data 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. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.43% and a return on equity of 36.70%. The firm had revenue of $6.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.42 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.65 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year.
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 dividend of $0.445 per share. This represents a $1.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Ross Stores’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio is currently 26.93%.
Insider Buying and Selling at Ross Stores
In other news, Director Patricia H. Mueller sold 1,881 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $213.13, for a total transaction of $400,897.53. Following the sale, the director directly 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Karen Sykes sold 2,556 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $213.91, for a total value of $546,753.96. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief marketing officer owned 103,945 shares in the company, valued at $22,234,874.95. The trade was a 2.40% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ross Stores
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Ross Stores by 14.8% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 39,182,660 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $4,998,924,000 after acquiring an additional 5,060,954 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the fourth quarter worth $868,360,000. Holocene Advisors LP bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the third quarter worth $351,763,000. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 1,908.8% in the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,816,763 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $276,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,726,324 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 20.9% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 9,582,401 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $1,222,523,000 after purchasing an additional 1,657,008 shares in the last quarter. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Ross Stores News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Ross Stores this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple near‑term and multi‑year EPS forecasts (Q1–Q4 2027, FY2027, FY2028 and FY2029), which improves forward earnings visibility and supports higher target earnings power. Zacks still carries a “Hold” rating, so upside is driven mainly by estimate revisions. Zacks boosts EPS estimates for Ross Stores
- Positive Sentiment: Barron’s lists Ross among “defensive” retail names with favorable technicals and fundamentals — a recognition that can attract risk‑averse and momentum buyers into ROST. Walmart, Ross Stores, and Other ‘Defensive’ Retail Stocks
- Positive Sentiment: Recent reported quarter (Mar. 3) beat estimates: $2.00 EPS vs. $1.90 consensus and revenue of $6.64B (+12.2% Y/Y). Strong margins and ROE plus above‑average intraday volume point to investor affirmation of execution. Ross Stores latest results and profile
- Neutral Sentiment: TV/market coverage (CNBC “Final Trades”, Benzinga summary) mentioned ROST alongside other notable names — helpful for liquidity/flow but not a fundamental catalyst on its own. Zoom, Ross Stores and a big bank on CNBC’s ‘Final Trades’ Benzinga: Zoom, Ross Stores And A Big Bank On CNBC’s ‘Final Trades’
- Neutral Sentiment: Some outlets note analyst disagreement on consumer cyclicals (Ross vs. peers like Kohl’s), which can mean higher volatility around updates but not necessarily a directional change. Analysts Conflicted on These Consumer Cyclical Names
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.
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