Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) Shares Sold by Windward Capital Management Co. CA

Windward Capital Management Co. CA cut its holdings in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 7.7% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 2,114 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after selling 177 shares during the quarter. Windward Capital Management Co. CA’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $320,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Longboard Asset Management LP purchased a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the fourth quarter valued at $244,000. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC lifted its position in Ross Stores by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 5,511 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $834,000 after acquiring an additional 149 shares during the period. Willis Investment Counsel grew its stake in Ross Stores by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Willis Investment Counsel now owns 50,802 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $7,685,000 after purchasing an additional 887 shares during the last quarter. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores in the fourth quarter valued at about $8,508,000. Finally, Greenleaf Trust raised its stake in shares of Ross Stores by 3.9% in the fourth quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 5,433 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $822,000 after purchasing an additional 205 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.86% of the company’s stock.

Ross Stores Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ ROST opened at $146.95 on Wednesday. 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 firm has a fifty day moving average of $151.78 and a 200 day moving average of $147.95. The firm has a market cap of $48.48 billion, a PE ratio of 23.14, a PEG ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.10. Ross Stores, Inc. has a one year low of $127.53 and a one year high of $163.60.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 21st. The apparel retailer reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.41 by $0.07. The business 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%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.33 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, December 10th were given a $0.3675 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 10th. This represents a $1.47 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.00%. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 23.15%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on ROST shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Ross Stores from $171.00 to $173.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Telsey Advisory Group restated a “market perform” rating and set a $175.00 price objective on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Monday, November 18th. Guggenheim reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $180.00 price objective on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Friday, November 22nd. Citigroup downgraded shares of Ross Stores from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their target price for the company from $179.00 to $152.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 12th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $165.00 price target (down from $178.00) on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Tuesday, January 7th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $169.06.

Ross Stores 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.