Erste Group Bank Boosts Earnings Estimates for Ross Stores

Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) – Analysts at Erste Group Bank upped their FY2027 earnings estimates for Ross Stores in a report issued on Tuesday, March 24th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the apparel retailer will post earnings per share of $7.36 for the year, up from their prior 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 earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The apparel retailer reported $2.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 period in the previous year, the company earned $1.65 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis.

A number of other analysts also recently issued reports on ROST. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $221.00 target price on Ross Stores in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Monday, December 1st. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $240.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Thursday. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Ross Stores from $199.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Ross Stores from $215.00 to $232.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $208.29.

Ross Stores Trading Down 1.2%

NASDAQ:ROST opened at $211.69 on Friday. Ross Stores has a 12 month low of $124.07 and a 12 month high of $217.51. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $200.54 and its 200 day moving average is $178.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $68.47 billion, a PE ratio of 32.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.97.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ross Stores

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. American National Bank & Trust bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. boosted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 140 shares during the period. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Bard Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the fourth quarter worth $31,000. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Ross Stores

In other Ross Stores news, COO Michael J. Hartshorn sold 15,813 shares of Ross Stores stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $214.91, for a total transaction of $3,398,371.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 116,028 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,935,577.48. The trade was a 11.99% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CMO Karen Sykes sold 5,506 shares of Ross Stores stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $213.40, for a total value of $1,174,980.40. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer directly owned 104,648 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,331,883.20. The trade was a 5.00% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders have sold 25,756 shares of company stock worth $5,521,004. 2.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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 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 presently 26.93%.

Key Stories Impacting 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

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.