Asset Management One Co. Ltd. Cuts Stake in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST)

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lessened its stake in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 0.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 132,029 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after selling 1,175 shares during the quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $20,195,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. ORG Partners LLC lifted 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 worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Ross Stores in the third quarter worth about $53,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. bought a new position in Ross Stores during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise purchased a new position in Ross Stores during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Finally, AM Squared Ltd bought a new stake in Ross Stores in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $60,000. Institutional investors own 86.86% of the company’s stock.

Ross Stores Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:ROST opened at $138.76 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $149.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $147.88. 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, Inc. has a one year low of $127.53 and a one year high of $163.60. The firm has a market cap of $45.78 billion, a PE ratio of 21.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.10.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 21st. The apparel retailer reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.07. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 41.83% and a net margin of 9.95%. The company had revenue of $5.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.15 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.33 EPS. Ross Stores’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 EPS for the current year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 10th were paid a $0.3675 dividend. This represents a $1.47 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.06%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 10th. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.15%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on ROST shares. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $180.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Friday, November 22nd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Ross Stores from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 19th. Telsey Advisory Group restated a “market perform” rating and set a $175.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Monday, November 18th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $140.00 price target (down previously from $164.00) on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Ross Stores from $185.00 to $177.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Ross Stores presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $169.06.

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.