Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) Stock Position Lessened by Valley Wealth Managers Inc.

Valley Wealth Managers Inc. decreased its holdings in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 0.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 133,255 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after selling 90 shares during the quarter. Ross Stores accounts for approximately 1.5% of Valley Wealth Managers Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 27th largest position. Valley Wealth Managers Inc.’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $20,157,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of ROST. Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in shares of Ross Stores by 64.0% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,862,684 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $581,373,000 after purchasing an additional 1,507,922 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB boosted its stake in Ross Stores by 137.7% during the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,976,140 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $299,583,000 after buying an additional 1,144,774 shares in the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board boosted its stake in Ross Stores by 4,787.8% during the third quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 629,744 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $94,783,000 after buying an additional 616,860 shares in the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP bought a new position in Ross Stores during the fourth quarter valued at about $86,732,000. Finally, Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec boosted its stake in Ross Stores by 478.4% during the third quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 400,204 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $60,235,000 after buying an additional 331,007 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.86% of the company’s stock.

Ross Stores Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ROST opened at $138.76 on Tuesday. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 1-year low of $127.53 and a 1-year high of $163.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.78 billion, a PE ratio of 21.85, a PEG ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.10. The business’s 50 day moving average is $149.53 and its 200-day moving average is $147.95. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 21st. The apparel retailer reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.07. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 41.83% and a net margin of 9.95%. The company had revenue of $5.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.15 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.33 EPS. Ross Stores’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Ross Stores Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 10th were issued a dividend of $0.3675 per share. This represents a $1.47 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.06%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 10th. Ross Stores’s payout ratio is presently 23.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on ROST shares. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Ross Stores from $185.00 to $177.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 19th. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $165.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (down previously from $164.00) on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $165.00 price target (down previously from $178.00) on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price objective on Ross Stores from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $169.06.

About Ross Stores

Ross Stores, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates off-price retail apparel and home fashion stores under the Ross Dress for Less and dd’s DISCOUNTS brand names in the United States. Its stores primarily offer apparel, accessories, footwear, and home fashions. The company’s Ross Dress for Less stores sell its products at department and specialty stores to middle income households; and dd’s DISCOUNTS stores sell its products at department and discount stores for households with moderate income.