Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) Given Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" by Brokerages

Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST - Get Free Report) has been given an average recommendation of "Moderate Buy" by the sixteen brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $158.67.

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on ROST shares. UBS Group lowered their price target on Ross Stores from $168.00 to $163.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $128.00 to $126.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $170.00 to $160.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $155.00 to $150.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $168.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th.

Ross Stores Stock Up 0.7%

Ross Stores stock traded up $0.92 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $139.85. The stock had a trading volume of 4,225,878 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,710,336. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $139.50 and its 200-day moving average price is $142.89. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.17. Ross Stores has a 12-month low of $122.36 and a 12-month 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.

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 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.44 by $0.03. The company 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 9.95% and a return on equity of 41.83%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.46 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Ross Stores will post 6.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, June 10th will be paid a $0.405 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, June 10th. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.16%. Ross Stores's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 25.59%.

Insider Activity at Ross Stores

In related news, CMO Karen Fleming sold 5,339 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.73, for a total value of $671,272.47. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 94,063 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,826,540.99. This represents a 5.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Chairman Michael Balmuth sold 11,261 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 2nd. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $7,868,364. The trade was a 15.85% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 34,398 shares of company stock worth $4,439,950. Corporate insiders own 2.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Ross Stores

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its holdings in Ross Stores by 152.9% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 177 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the period. Golden State Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Ross Stores by 50.7% in the 1st quarter. Golden State Wealth Management LLC now owns 217 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Banque Transatlantique SA purchased a new stake in Ross Stores in the 1st quarter worth $29,000. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. bought a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Finally, Bayforest Capital Ltd grew its position in shares of Ross Stores by 372.5% during the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 241 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares in the last quarter. 86.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.