Stephens Investment Management Group LLC Reduces Stock Position in Ross Stores, Inc. $ROST

Stephens Investment Management Group LLC lessened its position in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 1.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 156,341 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after selling 2,915 shares during the period. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $23,825,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Aspect Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Ross Stores by 251.7% in the second quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 204 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. American National Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in Ross Stores in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $26,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. grew its position in shares of Ross Stores by 162.6% in the 3rd quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 239 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 148 shares during the last quarter. Ameritas Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the second quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 86.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ross Stores Stock Performance

Shares of ROST opened at $192.36 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17. The stock has a market cap of $62.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.06, a P/E/G ratio of 3.67 and a beta of 1.01. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $178.47 and its 200-day moving average price is $157.97. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 52 week low of $122.36 and a 52 week high of $194.92.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 20th. The apparel retailer reported $1.58 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.20. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 36.75% and a net margin of 9.47%.The company had revenue of $5.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.48 EPS. The firm’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. Equities research analysts anticipate that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms recently weighed in on ROST. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $170.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $188.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $221.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Guggenheim upgraded shares of Ross Stores to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price objective on Ross Stores from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $186.41.

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.