Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) Earns Outperform Rating from Telsey Advisory Group

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST)‘s stock had its “outperform” rating reissued by research analysts at Telsey Advisory Group in a research note issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They presently have a $240.00 target price on the apparel retailer’s stock. Telsey Advisory Group’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 13.37% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on ROST. UBS Group set a $208.00 price target on Ross Stores in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Ross Stores from $214.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $205.00 to $221.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, March 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $205.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $221.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ross Stores has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $208.29.

Ross Stores Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ROST opened at $211.69 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $200.54 and its two-hundred day moving average is $178.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.03, a PEG ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.97. 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 52 week low of $124.07 and a 52 week high of $217.51.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) 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 return on equity of 36.70% and a net margin of 9.43%.The business had revenue of $6.64 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.42 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $1.65 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that Ross Stores will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Ross Stores

In related news, CMO Karen Sykes sold 5,506 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $213.40, for a total transaction of $1,174,980.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 104,648 shares in the company, valued at approximately $22,331,883.20. This trade represents a 5.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Patricia H. Mueller sold 1,881 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $400,897.53. Following the sale, the director owned 2,159 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $460,147.67. The trade was a 46.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 25,756 shares of company stock valued at $5,521,004 in the last quarter. Insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ross Stores

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. raised its position in shares of Ross Stores by 7,000.0% during the fourth quarter. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. now owns 142 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares during the period. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, City Holding Co. increased its stake in Ross Stores by 1,080.0% in the 4th quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 177 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 162 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.86% of the company’s stock.

Key Ross Stores News

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

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.