Nykredit A S Takes Position in Ross Stores, Inc. $ROST

Nykredit A S bought a new stake in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 155,218 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $33,038,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of ROST. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in Ross Stores in the second quarter valued at $5,938,711,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in Ross Stores in the second quarter worth about $2,024,203,000. Primecap Management Co. CA bought a new stake in Ross Stores in the second quarter valued at about $1,937,995,000. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its holdings in Ross Stores by 89.2% in the second quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 6,615,682 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $1,408,148,000 after buying an additional 3,118,591 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the 4th quarter worth approximately $868,360,000. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Ross Stores Stock Down 1.3%

NASDAQ ROST opened at $226.61 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.12, a current ratio of 1.61 and a quick ratio of 0.98. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $237.14 and its 200 day simple moving average is $226.59. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 12 month low of $143.71 and a 12 month high of $257.00. The company has a market capitalization of $72.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.43, a PEG ratio of 1.93 and a beta of 0.85.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 20th. The apparel retailer reported $2.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.56 EPS. Ross Stores’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 8.15 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

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 given a dividend of $0.445 per share. This represents a $1.78 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 8th. Ross Stores’s payout ratio is presently 21.55%.

Key Stories Impacting Ross Stores

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

• Positive Sentiment: Ross Stores is attracting shoppers from rival retailers as consumers increasingly seek value. New traffic data indicate that Ross is gaining ground among discount-focused shoppers, a trend that could support comparable-store sales and market-share gains. Ross Stores and Target Are Winning Shoppers From Rivals
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see Ross benefiting from abundant closeout merchandise, stronger brand availability and disciplined pricing. These conditions could improve merchandise margins while value-conscious consumers remain focused on bargains. ROST Sees Strong Closeout Supply
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerages maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating, indicating that analysts generally view the company’s earnings outlook and valuation favorably. Ross Stores Given Moderate Buy Recommendation
• Neutral Sentiment: Ross Stores announced a board refresh that adds two directors while a longtime board member retires. The changes may strengthen oversight and bring new perspectives, but they do not immediately alter the company’s operating outlook. Ross Stores Announces Changes to Board of Directors
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Executive Officer Barbara Rentler sold approximately $11.3 million of ROST stock. Although insider sales can be preplanned and do not necessarily signal weaker fundamentals, the transaction may weigh on investor sentiment. Ross Stores CEO Sells Stock

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on ROST shares. UBS Group upped their price target on Ross Stores from $232.00 to $239.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Ross Stores from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 21st. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $260.00 to $298.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $294.00 price target on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Friday, August 21st. Fifteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $263.76.

Insider Transactions at Ross Stores

In other news, CEO James Conroy sold 49,205 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $229.48, for a total transaction of $11,291,563.40. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 134,349 shares in the company, valued at $30,830,408.52. This represents a 26.81% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Stephen C. Brinkley sold 6,424 shares of Ross Stores stock in a transaction on Monday, September 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $229.66, for a total transaction of $1,475,335.84. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 51,665 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,865,383.90. The trade was a 11.06% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Ross Stores Company Profile

Ross Stores, Inc (NASDAQ: ROST) is an off-price retailer that operates Ross Dress for Less and dd’s DISCOUNTS stores. The company sells a broad selection of apparel, accessories, footwear and home fashion merchandise for women, men and children, generally at prices below those of traditional department and specialty stores.

Ross Stores follows an opportunistic buying model, purchasing name-brand, designer and other merchandise from manufacturers and retailers at discounted prices. Its product assortment changes frequently and can include clothing, shoes, handbags, jewelry, beauty products, furniture, bedding, home décor and other household goods.

Founded in 1950, the company is headquartered in Dublin, California, and serves customers primarily through its store network across the United States and Guam.