Karen Sykes Sells 5,036 Shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) Stock

Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST - Get Free Report) CMO Karen Sykes sold 5,036 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.48, for a total value of $657,097.28. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now owns 110,365 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,400,425.20. This represents a 4.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.

Ross Stores Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ROST traded up $1.54 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $128.44. 656,935 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,603,372. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The business's fifty day moving average is $134.66 and its 200-day moving average is $143.49. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.31, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.11. Ross Stores, Inc. has a one year low of $122.36 and a one year high of $163.60.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 4th. The apparel retailer reported $1.79 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $5.91 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.95 billion. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 41.83% and a net margin of 9.95%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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Ross Stores Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 18th were given a $0.405 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 18th. This is an increase from Ross Stores's previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.26%. Ross Stores's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.63%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Larson Financial Group LLC raised its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 152.9% during the fourth quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 177 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its position in Ross Stores by 434.1% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 235 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares during the period. Putney Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the fourth quarter worth $44,000. Finally, Cary Street Partners Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the fourth quarter worth $48,000. Institutional investors own 86.86% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on ROST shares. StockNews.com downgraded Ross Stores from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Telsey Advisory Group dropped their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $175.00 to $150.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Citigroup upgraded shares of Ross Stores from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $146.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $175.00 to $160.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $165.00 price target (down previously from $178.00) on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $161.67.

About Ross Stores

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.