Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) Shares Bought by Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.

Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. increased its position in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 10.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,183 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 499 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd.’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $753,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Riverview Trust Co acquired a new stake in shares of Ross Stores in the first quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new position in Ross Stores in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. grew its holdings in Ross Stores by 262.1% in the 2nd quarter. SJS Investment Consulting Inc. now owns 210 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Ross Stores in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Raleigh Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in Ross Stores by 41.8% during the 4th quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 251 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Ross Stores from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, September 14th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Ross Stores from $163.00 to $178.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, August 23rd. Loop Capital upped their target price on Ross Stores from $170.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Gordon Haskett upgraded Ross Stores to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Ross Stores from $173.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 23rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $169.71.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, COO Michael J. Hartshorn sold 8,366 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.64, for a total value of $1,302,084.24. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 103,049 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,038,546.36. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, COO Michael J. Hartshorn sold 8,366 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.64, for a total transaction of $1,302,084.24. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 103,049 shares in the company, valued at $16,038,546.36. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Barbara Rentler sold 48,885 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, August 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $153.93, for a total transaction of $7,524,868.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 311,853 shares in the company, valued at approximately $48,003,532.29. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 72,138 shares of company stock worth $11,093,051. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Ross Stores Price Performance

ROST stock opened at $154.31 on Friday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $147.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $143.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $51.47 billion, a PE ratio of 26.02, a P/E/G ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. Ross Stores, Inc. has a one year low of $108.35 and a one year high of $163.60.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 22nd. The apparel retailer reported $1.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.09. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.82% and a return on equity of 42.43%. The firm had revenue of $5.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.25 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.32 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 7.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Ross Stores Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, September 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, September 10th will be paid a $0.3675 dividend. This represents a $1.47 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, September 10th. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio is currently 24.79%.

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.