Evolve Private Wealth LLC Takes Position in Ross Stores, Inc. $ROST

Evolve Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 8,443 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $1,797,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Woodline Partners LP increased its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 39.9% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 27,875 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $3,562,000 after acquiring an additional 7,951 shares in the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Ross Stores by 23.5% in the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 615 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Ross Stores by 35.8% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 10,581 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $1,350,000 after purchasing an additional 2,792 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its position in Ross Stores by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 150,491 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $19,200,000 after purchasing an additional 1,508 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Main Street Financial Solutions LLC grew its position in Ross Stores by 2.2% during the 2nd quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 12,580 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $1,605,000 after purchasing an additional 265 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.86% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on ROST. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $262.00 to $272.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $250.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “buy” rating and set a $294.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Ross Stores from $245.00 to $248.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Barclays increased their target price on Ross Stores from $260.00 to $298.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ross Stores currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $263.76.

Ross Stores Trading Up 4.4%

Shares of ROST stock opened at $239.04 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.54, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 12-month low of $143.39 and a 12-month high of $257.00. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.94, a P/E/G ratio of 2.40 and a beta of 0.86. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $233.81 and its 200 day moving average is $221.86.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The apparel retailer reported $2.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.71. The business had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.16 billion. Ross Stores had a net margin of 10.85% and a return on equity of 40.28%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 13.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.56 EPS. Research analysts expect that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 8.13 earnings per share for the current year.

Ross Stores Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 8th will be given a dividend of $0.445 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 8th. This represents a $1.78 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.7%. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.55%.

Ross Stores News Roundup

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 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.