Insider Selling: Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) COO Sells 15,813 Shares of Stock

Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) COO Michael Hartshorn sold 15,813 shares of Ross Stores stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $214.91, for a total transaction of $3,398,371.83. Following the sale, the chief operating officer owned 116,028 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,935,577.48. This represents a 11.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Ross Stores Stock Performance

Shares of ROST opened at $211.69 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $200.54 and a 200 day moving average price of $178.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.47 billion, a PE ratio of 32.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 52-week low of $124.07 and a 52-week high of $217.51.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The apparel retailer reported $2.00 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.42 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.65 EPS. Ross Stores’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.445 per share. This is a boost from Ross Stores’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. 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. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.93%.

Trending Headlines about Ross Stores

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 strength: Ross posted broad-based category strength with record sales and strong Q4 gains, underscoring healthy demand and margin leverage potential—key support for forward earnings. Ross Stores Shows Broad-Based Category Strength: Can Momentum Hold?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades: Erste Group raised FY2027 and FY2028 EPS forecasts sharply (to ~$7.36 and ~$8.14, respectively), well above current consensus — this lifts forward earnings expectations and supports valuation expansion. MarketBeat ROST
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage backing: Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $240 price target, signaling continued sell-side confidence and potential upside from current levels. Telsey Reaffirms Outperform
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term growth view: Analysts and commentary (e.g., Seeking Alpha) argue Ross’ earnings should continue growing at a healthy clip given its off-price positioning and margin profile — a structural bullish argument for investors focused on multi-year returns. Ross Stores: Earnings Should Continue To Grow At A Healthy Clip
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment coverage: A Zacks piece highlights Wall Street bulls are optimistic and that analyst ratings can move the stock — useful context but not a specific rating change driving action. Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic About Ross Stores (ROST): Should You Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/market commentary: Broader consumer-spending commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer coverage) is referenced — supportive of retail but not a direct company-specific catalyst. Jim Cramer’s 5 Stock Calls and the Truth About Strong Consumer Spending
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Reports show top Ross executives executed a sizable stock sale on March 26, which can spook investors and prompt short-term selling or profit-taking despite positive fundamentals. Top Ross Stores Executives Quietly Cash In on Major Stock Sale

Analyst Ratings Changes

ROST has been the subject of a number of research reports. UBS Group set a $208.00 price target on Ross Stores in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on Ross Stores from $199.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Ross Stores from $215.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $221.00 target price on Ross Stores in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on Ross Stores from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ross Stores currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $208.29.

Institutional Trading of Ross Stores

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROST. J. Derek Lewis & Associates Inc. acquired a new position in Ross Stores in the fourth quarter worth approximately $411,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of Ross Stores by 39.5% during the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 46,918 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $8,452,000 after acquiring an additional 13,273 shares during the last quarter. World Investment Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth $250,000. Meadowbrook Advisors Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth $2,253,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 673,254 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $121,398,000 after acquiring an additional 10,175 shares during the last quarter. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by 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.