Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) Shares Sold by Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC reduced its stake in shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 1.8% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 15,426 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after selling 282 shares during the period. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $2,333,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the 3rd quarter worth about $33,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its position in Ross Stores by 434.1% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 235 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the 3rd quarter valued at $53,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Ross Stores in the 4th quarter worth $57,000. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise acquired a new stake in shares of Ross Stores in the third quarter valued at $59,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.86% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ROST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (down from $164.00) on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Monday, November 18th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on Ross Stores from $185.00 to $177.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Wells Fargo & Company restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $165.00 price objective on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $171.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ross Stores has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $169.06.

Ross Stores Price Performance

NASDAQ ROST opened at $142.59 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $151.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $147.93. Ross Stores, Inc. has a twelve month low of $127.53 and a twelve month high of $163.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $47.04 billion, a PE ratio of 22.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.57.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 21st. The apparel retailer reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $5.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.15 billion. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.95% and a return on equity of 41.83%. Ross Stores’s revenue was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.33 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 EPS for the current year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 10th were given a $0.3675 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, December 10th. This represents a $1.47 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.03%. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio is currently 23.15%.

Ross Stores Company Profile

Ross Stores, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates off-price retail apparel and home fashion stores under the Ross Dress for Less and dd’s DISCOUNTS brand names in the United States. Its stores primarily offer apparel, accessories, footwear, and home fashions. The company’s Ross Dress for Less stores sell its products at department and specialty stores to middle income households; and dd’s DISCOUNTS stores sell its products at department and discount stores for households with moderate income.