Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC Reduces Stock Position in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST)

Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC decreased its position in shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 1.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 15,426 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after selling 282 shares during the quarter. Moloney Securities Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $2,333,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP increased its position in shares of Ross Stores by 64.0% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,862,684 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $581,373,000 after buying an additional 1,507,922 shares in the last quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB grew its position in shares of Ross Stores by 137.7% in the fourth quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 1,976,140 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $299,583,000 after purchasing an additional 1,144,774 shares during the last quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board increased its stake in shares of Ross Stores by 4,787.8% during the 3rd quarter. Public Sector Pension Investment Board now owns 629,744 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $94,783,000 after purchasing an additional 616,860 shares in the last quarter. Sarasin & Partners LLP acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth approximately $86,732,000. Finally, Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec lifted its stake in Ross Stores by 478.4% in the 3rd quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 400,204 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $60,235,000 after buying an additional 331,007 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.86% of the company’s stock.

Ross Stores Price Performance

ROST stock opened at $142.59 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $47.04 billion, a PE ratio of 22.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a quick ratio of 0.98, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $151.04 and its two-hundred day moving average is $147.93. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 52-week low of $127.53 and a 52-week high of $163.60.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 21st. The apparel retailer reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.41 by $0.07. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.95% and a return on equity of 41.83%. The company had revenue of $5.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.15 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.33 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, December 10th were paid a dividend of $0.3675 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, December 10th. This represents a $1.47 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.03%. Ross Stores’s payout ratio is 23.15%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently commented on ROST shares. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $140.00 price objective (down previously from $164.00) on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Sanford C. Bernstein reissued a “market perform” rating and set a $165.00 price target (down previously from $178.00) on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Tuesday, January 7th. Evercore ISI lifted their price objective on Ross Stores from $170.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, November 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $165.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Citigroup cut Ross Stores from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their price target for the company from $179.00 to $152.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 12th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $169.06.

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.