Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) to Issue Dividend Increase – $0.45 Per Share

Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) announced a quarterly dividend on Tuesday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of 0.445 per share by the apparel retailer on Tuesday, March 31st. This represents a c) dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a 9.9% increase from Ross Stores’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41.

Ross Stores has increased its dividend payment by an average of 0.1%annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 6 years. Ross Stores has a dividend payout ratio of 23.9% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Equities research analysts expect Ross Stores to earn $6.68 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.62 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 24.3%.

Ross Stores Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ROST opened at $213.52 on Thursday. Ross Stores has a 1 year low of $122.36 and a 1 year high of $216.80. The firm has a market cap of $69.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.30, a PEG ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 0.97. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $192.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $171.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.52.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 3rd. The apparel retailer reported $2.00 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.90 by $0.10. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 37.43% and a net margin of 9.43%.The business had revenue of $6.64 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.42 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.65 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Ross Stores will post 6.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Key Headlines Impacting Ross Stores

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat and confident guidance — Ross delivered $2.00 EPS on $6.64B revenue (both above Street estimates) and guided Q1 and FY26 EPS above consensus, signaling momentum into spring. ROSS STORES REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER EARNINGS WELL ABOVE GUIDANCE
• Positive Sentiment: Big shareholder returns — board approved a new two‑year $2.55B repurchase authorization and raised the quarterly dividend ~10% (to $0.445), which supports EPS via buybacks and lifts yield for income investors. ROSS STORES REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER EARNINGS WELL ABOVE GUIDANCE
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts upgrading estimates and raising targets — several firms boosted forecasts and price targets after the print, increasing buy-side conviction and contributing to the rally. Ross Stores Analysts Boost Their Forecasts After Upbeat Q4 Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector/strategy tailwind — multiple writeups note a broader “treasure‑hunt” shift to off‑price retail; Ross is benefiting from higher traffic and share gains vs. full‑price peers, which supports longer‑term growth assumptions.
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary — CEO said trends improved through the year and the spring season is off to a strong start; this operational color underpins the guidance but will be watched for sustainability. Ross Stores Fourth-Quarter Sales Rise as Traffic Picks Up
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profit‑taking risk — some analysts and commentators flag that the post‑earnings pop has stretched valuation (ROST is trading near 52‑week highs), raising pullback risk if growth momentum moderates. Ross Stores: Strong Q4 Results Stretch The Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Near‑term downgrades and insider/institutional flows — Zacks moved to hold (vs. strong‑buy) and public filings show recent insider sales and mixed institutional activity; these can temper upside if selling broadens. Zacks Research Quiver Quantitative

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.