X Square Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST – Free Report) in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm bought 9,935 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,115,000.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the second quarter worth $5,938,711,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Ross Stores during the fourth quarter valued at $868,360,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new stake in Ross Stores during the second quarter valued at $385,441,000. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in Ross Stores by 1,908.8% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,816,763 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $276,857,000 after purchasing an additional 1,726,324 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Ross Stores by 20.9% in the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 9,582,401 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $1,222,523,000 after purchasing an additional 1,657,008 shares in the last quarter. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Trending Headlines about Ross Stores
Here are the key news stories impacting Ross Stores this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Q2 results exceeded expectations: Ross reported diluted EPS of $2.66 versus the approximately $1.95 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 13.3% year over year to $6.26 billion, ahead of the $6.16 billion forecast. Comparable-store sales increased 10%, supported by stronger customer traffic, improved merchandising and higher margins. Ross Stores Q2 Earnings Top Estimates on Strong Sales Growth Momentum
- Positive Sentiment: Higher outlook signals continued momentum: Management raised fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to $8.61-$8.77, well above the prior outlook and the roughly $7.31 analyst consensus. Third- and fourth-quarter EPS guidance also came in above expectations. The company cited resilient demand for discounted apparel and accessories and raised its fiscal-year store-opening plan to 115 locations. Ross Stores raises annual profit forecast again on discounted apparel demand
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised price targets: JPMorgan increased its target to $272 and maintained an Overweight rating, while Robert W. Baird raised its target to $270 and kept an Outperform rating. These revisions reinforce expectations that Ross is gaining market share from rivals. Analysts Boost Forecasts on Ross Stores
- Neutral Sentiment: Approximately $253 million of tariff refunds benefited second-quarter operating income, creating a potential comparison headwind when assessing underlying profitability. Ross Stores Q2 Sales Rise 13% as Diluted EPS Reaches $2.66
- Negative Sentiment: BTIG analyst Robert Drbul reiterated a Hold rating, indicating that strong execution may already be reflected in ROST’s premium valuation. Recent insider activity also showed sales but no purchases, a modest sentiment caution. Analyst Reiterates Hold on Ross Stores
Ross Stores Stock Performance
Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The apparel retailer reported $2.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.71. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 40.28% and a net margin of 10.85%.The business had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.16 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.56 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 8.13 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Ross Stores Dividend Announcement
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.445 per share. This represents a $1.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.7%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 8th. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.55%.
Analyst Ratings Changes
ROST has been the topic of several research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $294.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Ross Stores from $245.00 to $248.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Citigroup boosted their price target on Ross Stores from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Ross Stores currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $263.76.
Read Our Latest Analysis on ROST
Ross Stores Company Profile
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.
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