Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) Shares Acquired by Asset Dedication LLC

Asset Dedication LLC lifted its position in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 932.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 413 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 373 shares during the period. Asset Dedication LLC’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $62,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. acquired a new stake in Ross Stores in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ross Stores in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. ORG Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Ross Stores by 434.1% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 235 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new position in Ross Stores in the 3rd quarter valued at about $53,000. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new stake in Ross Stores in the 3rd quarter worth about $59,000. 86.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ross Stores Trading Up 1.8 %

Shares of NASDAQ ROST opened at $152.92 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $151.61 and a 200-day simple moving average of $147.88. Ross Stores, Inc. has a twelve month low of $127.53 and a twelve month high of $163.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.45 billion, a PE ratio of 24.08, a PEG ratio of 2.48 and a beta of 1.10.

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

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 10th were given a dividend of $0.3675 per share. This represents a $1.47 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.96%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 10th. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio is currently 23.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on ROST shares. Citigroup cut Ross Stores from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $179.00 to $152.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $165.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $165.00 price objective (down previously from $178.00) on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued a “market perform” rating and issued a $175.00 price objective on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Monday, November 18th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ross Stores currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $169.06.

Ross Stores Company Profile

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.