9,567 Shares in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) Bought by SOA Wealth Advisors LLC.

SOA Wealth Advisors LLC. bought a new stake in shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 9,567 shares of the apparel retailer's stock, valued at approximately $1,223,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of Ross Stores in the fourth quarter worth approximately $2,471,000. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. lifted its position in Ross Stores by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 792,637 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $119,902,000 after purchasing an additional 14,459 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd boosted its holdings in Ross Stores by 2.7% in the fourth quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 37,348 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $5,650,000 after purchasing an additional 970 shares during the last quarter. NatWest Group plc grew its position in Ross Stores by 2.0% in the 4th quarter. NatWest Group plc now owns 43,294 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $6,549,000 after purchasing an additional 860 shares during the period. Finally, Apollon Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Ross Stores by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 18,483 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $2,796,000 after purchasing an additional 1,004 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.86% of the company's stock.

Ross Stores Price Performance

NASDAQ ROST traded down $3.69 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $136.39. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,580,628 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,711,540. 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 0.98, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a market capitalization of $44.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.48, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.14. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $141.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $142.93.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 22nd. The apparel retailer reported $1.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.44 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $4.98 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.94 billion. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.95% and a return on equity of 41.83%. 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 business earned $1.46 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, June 10th will be given a $0.405 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 10th. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.19%. Ross Stores's dividend payout ratio is currently 25.59%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ROST. Citigroup upgraded Ross Stores from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $146.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Barclays lowered their target price on Ross Stores from $157.00 to $156.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Telsey Advisory Group restated a "market perform" rating and set a $150.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $175.00 to $160.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $128.00 to $126.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $158.67.

Insider Activity at Ross Stores

In related news, Chairman Michael Balmuth sold 11,261 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $131.60, for a total transaction of $1,481,947.60. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 59,790 shares of the company's stock, valued at $7,868,364. This represents a 15.85% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CMO Karen Fleming sold 5,339 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.73, for a total transaction of $671,272.47. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 94,063 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,826,540.99. This trade represents a 5.37% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 34,398 shares of company stock valued at $4,439,950. Insiders own 2.20% of the company's stock.

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.