Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) Upgraded at Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Ross Stores was upgraded by Wall Street Zen from “buy” to “strong-buy”, adding to a generally positive analyst backdrop. The stock now has a consensus Moderate Buy rating and an average target price of $233.18.
• The company recently reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $2.02 versus $1.73 expected and revenue of $6.01 billion versus $5.64 billion expected. Revenue rose 20.6% year over year, and Ross also issued guidance for FY2026 and Q2 2026.
• Despite the bullish tone from analysts and earnings, there has been recent insider selling, including by Director Patricia H. Mueller and COO Michael J. Hartshorn. Institutional ownership remains high, with hedge funds and other investors owning 86.86% of the stock.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Saturday.

A number of other brokerages have also recently commented on ROST. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $235.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $290.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Monday, April 27th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Ross Stores from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $261.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $270.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $233.18.

Ross Stores Stock Performance

Ross Stores stock opened at $230.37 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $73.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.62 and a beta of 0.86. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $223.03 and its 200-day moving average price is $201.86. Ross Stores has a fifty-two week low of $124.49 and a fifty-two week high of $237.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.54.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The apparel retailer reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.73 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $6.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.64 billion. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.74% and a return on equity of 38.42%. The firm's revenue was up 20.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.47 EPS. Ross Stores has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-7.740 EPS and its Q2 2026 guidance at 1.850-1.930 EPS. On average, equities research analysts expect that Ross Stores will post 7.73 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ross Stores

In other Ross Stores news, Director Patricia H. Mueller sold 1,881 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $213.13, for a total value of $400,897.53. Following the transaction, the director owned 2,159 shares in the company, valued at approximately $460,147.67. The trade was a 46.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, COO Michael J. Hartshorn sold 15,813 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $214.91, for a total transaction of $3,398,371.83. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 116,028 shares in the company, valued at $24,935,577.48. The trade was a 11.99% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 25,756 shares of company stock worth $5,521,004. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ross Stores

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Parallel Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Ross Stores by 4.1% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 6,586 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $1,427,000 after acquiring an additional 259 shares during the period. Groupama Asset Managment increased its position in shares of Ross Stores by 85.4% in the first quarter. Groupama Asset Managment now owns 4,691 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $1,016,000 after acquiring an additional 2,161 shares during the period. Wellington Grp LLC increased its position in shares of Ross Stores by 9.2% in the first quarter. Wellington Grp LLC now owns 12,150 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $2,632,000 after acquiring an additional 1,019 shares during the period. BankChampaign National Association purchased a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the first quarter valued at about $737,000. Finally, Groupe la Francaise purchased a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the first quarter valued at about $18,013,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.86% of the company's stock.

Ross Stores News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Ross Stores this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research increased several EPS forecasts for Ross Stores, signaling improved profit expectations across 2027-2029. Buy 5 Stocks With High ROE as Markets Swing on War Skirmishes
• Positive Sentiment: The stock is being highlighted as a high-ROE, cash-generating retailer, which can attract investors looking for quality and stability during market volatility. Buy 5 Stocks With High ROE as Markets Swing on War Skirmishes
• Positive Sentiment: Ross Stores recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS and revenue above estimates, which reinforces confidence in its operating momentum.
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles question how the investment narrative is evolving and compare Ross Stores with peers like Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, but these pieces are more commentary than new company-specific catalysts. How The Ross Stores (ROST) Investment Narrative Is Evolving Without New Analyst Targets
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage also notes Ross Stores is outperforming the consumer discretionary sector, but this mainly reflects relative strength already supported by analyst optimism. Ross Stores Stock: Is ROST Outperforming the Consumer Discretionary Sector?

About Ross Stores

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.