Forsta AP Fonden Has $10.09 Million Position in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST)

Forsta AP Fonden increased its holdings in shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 11.5% during the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 68,729 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 7,100 shares during the quarter. Forsta AP Fonden’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $10,087,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in ROST. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new position in shares of Ross Stores during the 1st quarter worth approximately $26,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Ross Stores in the 1st quarter valued at $27,000. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Ross Stores by 52.9% in the 4th quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 240 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the period. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Ross Stores by 41.8% in the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 251 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Finally, McGlone Suttner Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in Ross Stores in the 4th quarter valued at $51,000. 86.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on ROST shares. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Ross Stores from $159.00 to $161.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 24th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Ross Stores from $173.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, May 24th. Barclays boosted their price target on Ross Stores from $163.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, May 24th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Ross Stores from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, May 24th. Finally, UBS Group upped their target price on Ross Stores from $145.00 to $147.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $159.06.

Ross Stores Price Performance

Shares of ROST stock opened at $151.73 on Monday. Ross Stores, Inc. has a twelve month low of $108.35 and a twelve month high of $153.06. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $141.78 and a 200 day simple moving average of $141.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31. The company has a market cap of $50.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.66 and a beta of 1.08.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 23rd. The apparel retailer reported $1.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.35 by $0.11. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 42.24% and a net margin of 9.60%. The business had revenue of $4.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.83 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.09 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 5.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, June 11th were issued a $0.3675 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, June 11th. This represents a $1.47 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.97%. Ross Stores’s payout ratio is presently 24.79%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Ross Stores news, Director Patricia H. Mueller sold 941 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $138.37, for a total value of $130,206.17. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 973 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $134,634.01. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

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.