Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) Shares Sold by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group Inc. has reduced its stake in Ross Stores by 46.2%, holding 18,590 shares worth approximately $2.38 million following the sale of 15,946 shares in the first quarter.
• Ross Stores recently reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $1.47, surpassing analysts' expectations of $1.44, with a revenue increase of 2.6% year-over-year to $4.98 billion.
• The company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.405, representing an annual yield of 1.2% and a payout ratio of 25.59%.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. trimmed its position in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST - Free Report) by 46.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 18,590 shares of the apparel retailer's stock after selling 15,946 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $2,376,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Golden State Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ross Stores by 50.7% in the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 217 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. Forum Financial Management LP increased its position in shares of Ross Stores by 5.3% in the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 1,474 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $223,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Ross Stores by 6.1% in the 1st quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,280 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $164,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Ross Stores by 36.6% in the 1st quarter. Tradewinds Capital Management LLC now owns 280 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the period. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. increased its position in shares of Ross Stores by 1.0% in the 1st quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 7,744 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $990,000 after acquiring an additional 75 shares during the period. 86.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ross Stores Price Performance

ROST traded down $0.84 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $141.13. The company's stock had a trading volume of 279,790 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,080,325. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.55 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $134.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $137.31. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 1 year low of $122.36 and a 1 year high of $163.60. The company has a market cap of $46.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.30, a PEG ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 1.11.

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

Ross Stores Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 10th were issued a $0.405 dividend. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 10th. Ross Stores's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.59%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on ROST shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Ross Stores from $154.00 to $156.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, July 28th. Barclays cut their price target on Ross Stores from $157.00 to $156.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Wall Street Zen downgraded Ross Stores from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 21st. Jefferies Financial Group raised Ross Stores from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the stock from $135.00 to $150.00 in a research report on Wednesday, July 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Ross Stores from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $159.06.

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.