Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC Has $1.20 Million Stock Holdings in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST)

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC cut its holdings in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST - Free Report) by 39.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 9,364 shares of the apparel retailer's stock after selling 6,062 shares during the quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC's holdings in Ross Stores were worth $1,197,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ROST. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its stake in Ross Stores by 152.9% in the fourth 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 grew its holdings 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 buying an additional 73 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 buying an additional 75 shares in the last quarter. Putney Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth $44,000. Finally, Cary Street Partners Financial LLC bought a new position in Ross Stores during the fourth quarter worth about $48,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.86% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on ROST shares. Citigroup upgraded Ross Stores from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $146.00 price target for the company in a report on Thursday, April 3rd. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Ross Stores from $128.00 to $126.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $141.00 to $154.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, June 13th. Loop Capital lowered their price objective on shares of 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, Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $157.00 to $156.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $158.94.

Ross Stores Stock Up 0.2%

Shares of NASDAQ ROST traded up $0.31 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $131.17. The company had a trading volume of 2,171,499 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,813,648. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 1-year low of $122.36 and a 1-year 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. The firm's 50 day moving average is $138.04 and its 200-day moving average is $139.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 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 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $4.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.94 billion. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.79% and a return on equity of 38.77%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.46 earnings per share. On average, analysts expect that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 10th were paid a dividend of $0.405 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, June 10th. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.24%. 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.