Q1 EPS Estimates for Ross Stores Increased by Zacks Research

Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) – Stock analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q1 2027 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Ross Stores in a research report issued on Tuesday, March 17th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the apparel retailer will earn $1.64 per share for the quarter, up from their previous forecast of $1.57. Zacks Research has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Ross Stores’ current full-year earnings is $6.17 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Ross Stores’ Q2 2027 earnings at $1.78 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.74 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $2.08 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $7.23 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $1.74 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $1.89 EPS, Q3 2028 earnings at $1.92 EPS, Q4 2028 earnings at $2.34 EPS, FY2028 earnings at $7.89 EPS and FY2029 earnings at $8.72 EPS.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The apparel retailer reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.10. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 36.70% and a net margin of 9.43%.The company had revenue of $6.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.42 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.65 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

A number of other research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Evercore increased their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $200.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $224.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $205.00 to $235.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $175.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 21st. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $208.29.

Ross Stores Stock Performance

NASDAQ:ROST opened at $210.66 on Thursday. Ross Stores has a twelve month low of $122.36 and a twelve month high of $216.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $198.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is $175.89. The firm has a market capitalization of $68.14 billion, a PE ratio of 31.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.83 and a beta of 0.97.

Ross Stores Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a $0.445 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Ross Stores’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. This represents a $1.78 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.8%. Ross Stores’s payout ratio is currently 26.93%.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Patricia H. Mueller sold 1,881 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $213.13, for a total value of $400,897.53. Following the sale, the director directly owned 2,159 shares in the company, valued at $460,147.67. This represents a 46.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CMO Karen Sykes sold 2,556 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $213.91, for a total transaction of $546,753.96. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer directly owned 103,945 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,234,874.95. This represents a 2.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 2.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ross Stores

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ROST. Somerset Trust Co grew its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Somerset Trust Co now owns 14,788 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $2,664,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance raised its stake in Ross Stores by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Independent Advisor Alliance now owns 3,309 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $596,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC raised its stake in Ross Stores by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 954 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $172,000 after acquiring an additional 55 shares during the last quarter. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co lifted its position in Ross Stores by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Florida Trust Wealth Management Co now owns 3,399 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $612,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, MCF Advisors LLC lifted its position in Ross Stores by 4.6% during the 4th quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 1,292 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $233,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares during the period. 86.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ross Stores News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised several quarterly and fiscal EPS forecasts for ROST (Q1–Q4 and FY2027–FY2029), lifting FY2027/FY2028/FY2029 estimates — a direct signal of improved earnings outlook even though the firm retains a “Hold” rating. (Source: MarketBeat overview). MarketBeat ROST
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks’ analyst blog highlights Ross’ strong comparable-store sales, new store openings and improved merchandise assortment as drivers of sales and longer-term growth — supports the raised estimates and investor confidence in execution. Will Ross Stores’ Store Expansions and Other Initiatives Aid?
• Positive Sentiment: Ross received on-air attention on CNBC’s “Final Trades,” which can drive short-term interest and retail flows into the stock as traders react to televised endorsements. Zoom, Ross Stores And A Big Bank On CNBC’s ‘Final Trades’
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage notes that analysts remain conflicted on consumer cyclicals including ROST (vs. peers like Kohl’s), underscoring mixed views on valuation and margin sustainability — this divergence can limit large upgrades or downgrades in the near term. Analysts Conflicted on These Consumer Cyclical Names

Ross Stores Company 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.