Mizuho Securities USA LLC Buys 9,813 Shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST)

Mizuho Securities USA LLC lifted its stake in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST - Free Report) by 45.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 31,444 shares of the apparel retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 9,813 shares during the period. Mizuho Securities USA LLC's holdings in Ross Stores were worth $4,757,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Blueshift Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in Ross Stores in the fourth quarter worth about $1,893,000. Teacher Retirement System of Texas raised its position in shares of Ross Stores by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 438,373 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $66,313,000 after acquiring an additional 30,180 shares in the last quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson lifted its stake in shares of Ross Stores by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. First National Bank of Hutchinson now owns 8,553 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $1,294,000 after purchasing an additional 306 shares during the period. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd boosted its position in shares of Ross Stores by 17.6% during the fourth quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 19,555 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $2,962,000 after purchasing an additional 2,928 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Xponance Inc. grew its stake in Ross Stores by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 57,899 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $8,758,000 after purchasing an additional 910 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 86.86% of the company's stock.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a "market perform" rating and set a $165.00 price objective (down previously from $178.00) on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reissued a "negative" rating on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Barclays set a $150.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Loop Capital cut their price target on Ross Stores from $190.00 to $175.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Ross Stores from $140.00 to $130.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $161.40.

Insider Buying and Selling at Ross Stores

In other news, CMO Karen Fleming sold 5,339 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $125.73, for a total value of $671,272.47. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now owns 94,063 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,826,540.99. The trade was a 5.37 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Ross Stores Stock Performance

NASDAQ ROST traded down $0.97 on Tuesday, hitting $128.21. 1,781,561 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,433,196. The business's 50 day moving average price is $139.52 and its 200-day moving average price is $145.42. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 52-week low of $122.36 and a 52-week high of $163.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The company has a market capitalization of $42.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.15.

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

Ross Stores Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, March 18th will be paid a $0.405 dividend. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.26%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 18th. This is a positive change from Ross Stores's previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Ross Stores's dividend payout ratio is presently 25.63%.

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.