D.A. Davidson & CO. Acquires 3,779 Shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST)

D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its holdings in shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST - Free Report) by 8.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 51,219 shares of the apparel retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 3,779 shares during the period. D.A. Davidson & CO.'s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $6,545,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its position in Ross Stores by 152.9% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 177 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Ross Stores by 50.7% during the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 217 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC raised its position in Ross Stores by 36.6% during the 1st quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 280 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Putney Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the 4th quarter valued at $44,000. 86.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

ROST has been the subject of several recent research reports. Barclays reduced their price target on Ross Stores from $157.00 to $156.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Citigroup raised Ross Stores from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $146.00 price target for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Ross Stores from $141.00 to $154.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, June 13th. Loop Capital reduced their price target on Ross Stores from $175.00 to $170.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Ross Stores from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $158.94.

Ross Stores Trading Down 0.1%

Ross Stores stock opened at $131.42 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $138.90 and a 200 day moving average price of $139.96. The company has a market capitalization of $42.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.11. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 52 week low of $122.36 and a 52 week high of $163.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 22nd. The apparel retailer reported $1.47 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $4.98 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.94 billion. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 38.77% and a net margin of 9.79%. Ross Stores's revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 EPS for the current year.

Ross Stores Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 10th were given a $0.405 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 10th. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.23%. Ross Stores's dividend payout ratio is currently 25.59%.

Ross Stores 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.

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