Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) Releases FY 2026 Earnings Guidance

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) issued an update on its FY 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 7.020-7.360 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 6.760. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Ross Stores also updated its Q1 2026 guidance to 1.600-1.670 EPS.

Ross Stores Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ROST opened at $197.64 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 1.52 and a quick ratio of 0.90. The business has a 50-day moving average of $191.34 and a 200-day moving average of $170.94. The stock has a market capitalization of $63.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.88, a PEG ratio of 3.52 and a beta of 0.97. Ross Stores has a fifty-two week low of $122.36 and a fifty-two week high of $206.40.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The apparel retailer reported $2.00 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $6.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.42 billion. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.47% and a return on equity of 36.75%. Ross Stores’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.65 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Ross Stores will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on ROST. Barclays upped their target price on Ross Stores from $205.00 to $221.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Ross Stores from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, November 15th. Telsey Advisory Group upped their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $175.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Ross Stores from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Evercore raised their price objective on Ross Stores from $175.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, November 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Ross Stores currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $196.67.

Ross Stores News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Beat on Q4 results — Ross reported Q4 EPS of $2.00 and revenue of $6.64B, topping estimates and showing 12% revenue growth and a 9% comparable‑store sales gain. This drove upbeat commentary about a strong holiday and spring start. MarketBeat: Ross Q4 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Raised full‑year guidance — Ross updated FY26 EPS to $7.02–7.36 vs. consensus ~6.76, and provided Q1 EPS guidance roughly in line with estimates; management also announced a new two‑year repurchase authorization and a 10% dividend increase. These items support longer‑term earnings and capital‑returns expectations. PR Newswire: Ross Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Market share and traffic momentum — Coverage highlights Ross’s ability to pull shoppers from mainstream retailers and describes a “very strong” start to spring, supporting upside to same‑store sales and margins. PYMNTS: Market Share Gain
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst price‑target upgrades — Barclays raised its price target to $221 and kept an overweight view, indicating analyst conviction on the stock’s longer‑term upside even as near‑term volatility persists. Benzinga: Barclays PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings detail and call transcripts available — Investors can review the earnings call and transcripts for color on inventory, margin outlook and promotional strategy to judge sustainability of current tailwinds. Seeking Alpha: Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade and profit‑taking — Zacks cut Ross from “strong‑buy” to “hold,” which can prompt short‑term selling; combined with recent run‑up to near‑year‑high levels, investors are taking profits. Zacks: Rating Change
• Negative Sentiment: Broader market weakness — Pre‑market/futures softness and mixed macro sentiment reduced appetite for retail cyclicals today, muting some of the positive reaction to Ross’s report. Benzinga: Stocks to Watch

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ross Stores

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in Ross Stores by 1,908.8% during the third quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,816,763 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $276,857,000 after acquiring an additional 1,726,324 shares during the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE grew its stake in Ross Stores by 20.9% during the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 9,582,401 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $1,222,523,000 after purchasing an additional 1,657,008 shares during the period. Viking Global Investors LP grew its stake in Ross Stores by 56.5% during the fourth quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,167,479 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $570,590,000 after purchasing an additional 1,143,611 shares during the period. Bank of Montreal Can increased its holdings in Ross Stores by 357.4% in the fourth quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,451,569 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $261,486,000 after purchasing an additional 1,134,186 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Scopus Asset Management L.P. acquired a new position in Ross Stores in the second quarter valued at approximately $102,281,000. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.