Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Makes New $4.73 Million Investment in Ross Stores, Inc. $ROST

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. purchased a new position in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 22,220 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $4,730,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Ross Stores during the 2nd quarter worth about $4,042,000. Evolve Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Ross Stores in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,797,000. Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Co purchased a new position in Ross Stores in the 2nd quarter valued at about $12,622,000. X Square Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the 2nd quarter worth about $2,115,000. Finally, Emerald Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the 2nd quarter worth about $5,983,000. 86.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Ross Stores Price Performance

ROST opened at $239.04 on Monday. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 12 month low of $143.39 and a 12 month high of $257.00. The business has a 50-day moving average of $233.81 and a two-hundred day moving average of $222.09. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $76.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.94, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.86.

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

Ross Stores Dividend Announcement

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on ROST. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $230.00 to $240.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Friday. Evercore set a $290.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Friday. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $270.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Ross Stores from $231.00 to $234.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on Ross Stores from $232.00 to $239.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday. Fifteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ross Stores presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $263.76.

Ross Stores News Summary

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

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.