Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) Stake Increased by Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI increased its stake in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 18.5% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,320 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after buying an additional 362 shares during the period. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $352,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. ORG Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Ross Stores by 434.1% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 235 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 191 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the fourth quarter valued at $51,000. Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the third quarter valued at $53,000. Oakworth Capital Inc. bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the fourth quarter valued at $57,000. Finally, Banque Cantonale Vaudoise bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the third quarter valued at $59,000. Institutional investors own 86.86% of the company’s stock.

Ross Stores Stock Performance

Shares of ROST opened at $138.64 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $146.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $147.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $45.74 billion, a PE ratio of 21.83, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 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. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 52-week low of $127.53 and a 52-week high of $163.60.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The apparel retailer reported $1.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.14. The firm had revenue of $5.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.95 billion. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.95% and a return on equity of 41.83%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 18th will be given a dividend of $0.405 per share. This is a positive change from Ross Stores’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 18th. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.17%. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 23.15%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $165.00 to $140.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Ross Stores from $140.00 to $130.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. StockNews.com lowered shares of Ross Stores from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 25th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $175.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $185.00 to $177.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, November 19th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $162.12.

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.