Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) Reaches New 12-Month Low - Should You Sell?

Shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST - Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week low during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $122.36 and last traded at $123.41, with a volume of 567801 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $124.60.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have commented on ROST. BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on Ross Stores from $168.00 to $156.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $140.00 to $130.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Barclays set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company restated a "negative" rating on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Ross Stores from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Ross Stores presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $161.40.

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Ross Stores Stock Down 0.5 %

The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $139.52 and its 200 day simple moving average is $145.42. The company has a market cap of $42.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.24, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 4th. The apparel retailer reported $1.79 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $5.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.95 billion. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 41.83% and a net margin of 9.95%. Sell-side analysts predict 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. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.405 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 18th. This represents a $1.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.26%. This is a boost from Ross Stores's previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Ross Stores's dividend payout ratio is currently 25.63%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ross Stores news, CMO Karen Fleming sold 5,339 shares of Ross Stores stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $125.73, for a total value of $671,272.47. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 94,063 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,826,540.99. This trade represents a 5.37 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Larson Financial Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ross Stores by 152.9% during the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 177 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Ross Stores in the 4th quarter worth about $31,000. ORG Partners LLC grew its stake in Ross Stores by 434.1% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 235 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Putney Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in Ross Stores during the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Cary Street Partners Financial LLC acquired a new position in Ross Stores during the fourth quarter worth about $48,000. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.