Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) Stock Rating Upgraded by StockNews.com

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday.

Several other analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Guggenheim reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Friday, November 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed a "market perform" rating and set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Monday, November 18th. Citigroup cut shares of Ross Stores from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $179.00 to $152.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $165.00 price objective on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Seven 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. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $169.06.

Ross Stores Stock Down 1.8 %

Shares of NASDAQ:ROST traded down $2.48 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $136.61. 2,508,793 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,309,173. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.57. The company has a market cap of $45.07 billion, a PE ratio of 21.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 1.10. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $148.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $147.79. Ross Stores has a twelve month low of $127.53 and a twelve month high of $163.60.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 21st. The apparel retailer reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $5.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $5.15 billion. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.95% and a return on equity of 41.83%. Ross Stores's quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.33 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Ross Stores will post 6.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Ross Stores

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Creative Planning boosted its position in Ross Stores by 2.5% in the third quarter. Creative Planning now owns 59,913 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $9,017,000 after purchasing an additional 1,442 shares during the last quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC increased its position in Ross Stores by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 6,214 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $935,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Net Worth Advisory Group purchased a new stake in shares of Ross Stores in the third quarter worth about $297,000. Raymond James & Associates raised its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 2.6% during the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 284,978 shares of the apparel retailer's stock valued at $42,892,000 after acquiring an additional 7,331 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Resonant Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in Ross Stores by 2.4% during the third quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,362 shares of the apparel retailer's stock worth $807,000 after buying an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.86% of the company's stock.

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.