Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co Makes New Investment in Ross Stores, Inc. $ROST

Key Points

• Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co. acquired 59,300 Ross Stores shares in the second quarter, valued at approximately $12.6 million. Institutional investors collectively own 86.86% of ROST.
• Ross Stores reported a strong second quarter, with EPS of $2.66 versus the $1.95 consensus and revenue up 13.3% year over year to $6.26 billion. Comparable-store sales rose 10%, prompting management to raise fiscal 2026 EPS guidance and increase its planned store openings to 115.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $263.76, although some caution that the stock’s premium valuation may already reflect its strong execution. A $0.445 quarterly dividend was also declared, equating to a 0.7% annual yield.

Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co acquired a new stake in shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 59,300 shares of the apparel retailer's stock, valued at approximately $12,622,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Ross Stores in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Bard Associates Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Virtus Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Fideuram Asset Management Ireland dac acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.86% of the company's stock.

Key Ross Stores News

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

ROST has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Evercore set a $290.00 price objective on Ross Stores in a research report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein raised their target price on Ross Stores from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Friday. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $294.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Friday. Telsey Advisory Group increased their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $265.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, August 14th. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut shares of Ross Stores from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 20th. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $263.76.

Ross Stores Stock Performance

ROST stock opened at $239.04 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12. Ross Stores, Inc. has a twelve month low of $143.39 and a twelve month high of $257.00. The company has a market cap of $76.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.94, a PEG ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.86. The business has a fifty day moving average of $233.81 and a 200-day moving average of $222.09.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 20th. The apparel retailer reported $2.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.71. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 39.29% and a net margin of 10.85%.The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.16 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.56 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 13.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 8.13 EPS for the current year.

Ross Stores Dividend Announcement

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

Ross Stores 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.

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