Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) Receives $186.41 Average Price Target from Analysts

Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-two ratings firms that are presently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $186.4118.

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $169.00 to $181.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. BTIG Research began coverage on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Erste Group Bank initiated coverage on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Friday, October 31st. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $171.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Finally, Barclays reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $205.00 price objective on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Tuesday, January 6th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ross Stores

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROST. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Ross Stores in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Grey Fox Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ross Stores in the third quarter worth $29,000. Aspect Partners LLC increased its holdings in Ross Stores by 251.7% in the second quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 204 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the period. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Ross Stores by 42.6% during the 4th quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 211 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. Finally, E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. raised its position in Ross Stores by 162.6% during the 3rd quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 239 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ross Stores Price Performance

Shares of ROST traded down $1.43 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $192.36. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 3,257,228 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,970,144. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. Ross Stores has a one year low of $122.36 and a one year high of $194.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $62.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.67 and a beta of 1.01. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $178.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $157.97.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The apparel retailer reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.38 by $0.20. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 36.75% and a net margin of 9.47%.The business had revenue of $5.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.48 EPS. Ross Stores’s revenue for the quarter was up 10.4% on a year-over-year basis. Ross Stores has set its FY 2025 guidance at 6.380-6.46 EPS and its Q4 2025 guidance at 1.770-1.85 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Ross Stores will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 9th were issued a dividend of $0.405 per share. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 9th. Ross Stores’s payout ratio is 25.31%.

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.