Ross Stores Stock (NASDAQ:ROST), Trade Ideas

Ross Stores

Ross Stores operates as an off-price apparel and accessories retailer with the majority of its sales derived from its Ross Dress for Less banner. The firm opportunistically procures excess brand-name merchandise made available via manufacturing overruns and retail liquidation sales at a 20%-60% discount to full prices. As such, its stores are often filled with a vast array of stock-keeping units, each with minimal product depth that creates a treasure hunt shopping experience. The firm's more than 1,750 Ross Dress for Less stores are primarily located in densely populated suburban communities and typically serve middle-income consumers. Ross also operates nearly 350 DD's Discounts chains that target lower-income shoppers.

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News

Small Cap

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Pre-Market Outlook

Markets

Trading Ideas

CODI

ROST

Although U.S. stocks closed mixed on Wednesday, there were a few notable insider trades.

Over $1M Bet On This Industrial Stock? Check Out These 4 Stocks Insiders Are Buying

General

With its fourth quarter report, Kohl’s (NYSE: KSS) came short on revenue estimates and issued a weak guidance.

Kohl&#39;s Swung To A Quarterly Profit As It Showed A Preview Of Its Turnaround Strategy To Combat Slumping Sales

AMZN

URBN

VSCO

Last Thursday, The Gap Inc (NYSE: GPS) topped analyst estimates with its fourth fiscal quarter results thanks to financial and operational discipline, along with a demand rebound for its namesake brand. The clothing retailer has been losing customers to its rivals, such as Shein and Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: 

Holiday Quarter Magic Got Gap On Track To Reinvigorate Its Brands

Ross Stores Inc

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 20 years by 3.75% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 11.68%. Currently, Ross Stores has a market capitalization of $46.62 billion. 
Buying $100 In ROST: If an investor had bought $100 of ROST stock 20 years ago, it would be worth $894.66 today based on a price of $139.03 for ROST at the time of writing.
<h3>Ross Stores's Performance Over Last 20 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1712851218_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Here's How Much $100 Invested In Ross Stores 20 Years Ago Would Be Worth Today

Although U.S. stocks closed mixed on Wednesday, there were a few notable insider trades.
When insiders purchase shares, it indicates their confidence in the company&#39;s prospects or that they view the stock as a bargain. Either way, this signals an opportunity to go long on the stock. Insider purchases should not be taken as the only indicator for making an investment or trading decision. At best, it can lend conviction to a buying decision.
Below is a look at a few recent notable insider purchases. For more, check out <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/"> Benzinga&#39;s insider transactions </a> platform.
<h3>Flowers Foods </h3>
<ul>
<li>The Trade: Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/flo#NYSE">FLO</a>) Director Edward J.. Casey Jr <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/FLO/analyst-ratings"> acquired a total of 5,000 shares </a> an average price of $23.55. To acquire these shares, it cost around $117,750.</li>
<li>What&rsquo;s Happening: On Feb. 8, Flowers Foods posted downbeat quarterly earnings.</li>
<li>What Flowers Foods Does: Flowers Foods Inc is an American company producing bakery food for retail and foodservice across the United States.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Compass Diversified </h3>
<ul>
<li>The Trade: Compass Diversified (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/codi#NYSE">CODI</a>) Ryan J Faulkingham acquired a total of 4,250 shares at an average price of $23.46. To acquire these shares, it cost around $99,725.</li>
<li>What&rsquo;s Happening: On March 19, Citi Trends reported worse-than-expected fourth-quarter financial results.</li>
<li>What Compass Diversified Does: Compass Diversified Holdings is a diversified business conglomerate based in the United States having two groups: branded consumer business and industrial business.</li>
</ul>
Don&rsquo;t forget to check out our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premarket/"> premarket coverage here </a> 
<h3>CVD Equipment </h3>
<ul>
<li>The Trade: CVD Equipment Corporation (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cvv#NASDAQ">CVV</a>) 10% owner ADA Partners, L.P. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/"> bought a total of 217,554 shares </a> at an average price of $5.02. To acquire these shares, it cost around $1.08 million.</li>
<li>What&rsquo;s Happening: On March 28, CVD Equipment posted a loss for the fourth quarter.</li>
<li>What CVD Equipment Does: CVD Equipment Corp is engaged in the manufacturing of chemical vapor deposition equipment, customized gas control systems, the manufacturing of process equipment suitable for the synthesis of a variety of one-dimensional nanostructures and nanomaterials and a line of furnaces, all of which are used to produce semiconductors and other electronic components.</li>
</ul>
<h3>Ross Stores </h3>
<ul>
<li>The Trade: Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rost#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) President, CMO DD&#39;S Discounts Karen Fleming <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/"> bought a total of 3,482 shares </a> at an average price of $147.51. The insider spent around $5,230 to buy those shares.</li>
<li>What&rsquo;s Happening: On March 5, Ross Stores reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter results.</li>
<li>What Ross Stores Does: Ross Stores operates as an off-price apparel and accessories retailer with the majority of its sales derived from its Ross Dress for Less banner.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Check This Out: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/long-ideas/24/04/38067893/these-3-real-estate-stocks-with-over-3-dividend-yields-are-recommended-by-wall-streets-m"> These 3 Real Estate Stocks With Over 3% Dividend Yields Are Recommended By Wall Street&#39;s Most Accurate Analysts </a>
&nbsp;

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 10 years by 4.05% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 14.77%. Currently, Ross Stores has a market capitalization of $48.32 billion. 
Buying $1000 In ROST: If an investor had bought $1000 of ROST stock 10 years ago, it would be worth $4,039.96 today based on a price of $143.52 for ROST at the time of writing.
<h3>Ross Stores's Performance Over Last 10 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1711465220_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

$1000 Invested In Ross Stores 10 Years Ago Would Be Worth This Much Today

Ross Stores's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NYSE">ROST</a>) short percent of float has risen 12.2% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 3.89 million shares sold short, which is 1.38% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 2.21 days to cover their short positions on average.
<h3>Why Short Interest Matters</h3>
Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-short-a-stock/">Short selling</a> is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.
Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/short-interest">List of the most shorted stocks</a>
<h3>Ross Stores Short Interest Graph (3 Months)</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1711112422_0.png" alt="short_fig" />
As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Ross Stores has grown since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to fall in the near-term but traders should be aware that more shares are being shorted.
<h3>Comparing Ross Stores's Short Interest Against Its Peers</h3>
Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.
According to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/">Benzinga Pro</a>, Ross Stores's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 16.77%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.
Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/how-to-make-money-on-a-short-squeeze/">This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.</a>
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

Short Sellers

Short Ideas

Looking Into Ross Stores's Recent Short Interest

This whale alert can help traders discover the next big trading opportunities.
Whales are entities with large sums of money and we track their transactions here at Benzinga on our options activity scanner.
Traders often look for circumstances when the market estimation of an option diverges away from its normal worth. Abnormal amounts of trading activity could push option prices to hyperbolic or underperforming levels. 
Below are some instances of options activity happening in the Consumer Discretionary sector: 
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Symbol</th>
<th>PUT/CALL</th>
<th>Trade Type</th>
<th>Sentiment</th>
<th>Exp. Date</th>
<th>Strike Price</th>
<th>Total Trade Price</th>
<th>Open Interest</th>
<th>Volume</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>TSLA</td>
<td>PUT</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$165.00</td>
<td>$66.7K</td>
<td>27.7K</td>
<td>6.9K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>AMZN</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$215.00</td>
<td>$35.2K</td>
<td>71.4K</td>
<td>3.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ROST</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/22/24</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$36.0K</td>
<td>45</td>
<td>2.4K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CVNA</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/22/24</td>
<td>$85.00</td>
<td>$35.8K</td>
<td>3.1K</td>
<td>2.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CZR</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>03/22/24</td>
<td>$39.00</td>
<td>$57.6K</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>2.0K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>GCT</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>04/19/24</td>
<td>$50.00</td>
<td>$34.0K</td>
<td>3.3K</td>
<td>1.1K</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ETSY</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>12/20/24</td>
<td>$70.00</td>
<td>$383.6K</td>
<td>13</td>
<td>702</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>WYNN</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>05/17/24</td>
<td>$110.00</td>
<td>$27.0K</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>609</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>PDD</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>TRADE</td>
<td>BEARISH</td>
<td>04/19/24</td>
<td>$160.00</td>
<td>$108.5K</td>
<td>4.0K</td>
<td>552</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>F</td>
<td>CALL</td>
<td>SWEEP</td>
<td>BULLISH</td>
<td>01/17/25</td>
<td>$12.17</td>
<td>$42.0K</td>
<td>46.4K</td>
<td>549</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Explanation</h2>
These itemized elaborations have been created using the accompanying table. 
• For TSLA (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), we notice a put option trade that happens to be bullish, expiring in 63 day(s) on May 17, 2024. This event was a transfer of 44 contract(s) at a $165.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $66.7K, with a price of $1516.0 per contract. There were 27742 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 6984 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For AMZN (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 63 day(s) on May 17, 2024. This event was a transfer of 415 contract(s) at a $215.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $35.2K, with a price of $85.0 per contract. There were 71476 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 3163 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For ROST (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 7 day(s) on March 22, 2024. This event was a transfer of 2400 contract(s) at a $150.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $36.0K, with a price of $15.0 per contract. There were 45 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2401 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding CVNA (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CVNA#NYSE">CVNA</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 7 day(s) on March 22, 2024. Parties traded 200 contract(s) at a $85.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 4 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $35.8K, with a price of $179.0 per contract. There were 3148 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2131 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding CZR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CZR#NASDAQ">CZR</a>), we observe a call option trade with bearish sentiment. It expires in 7 day(s) on March 22, 2024. Parties traded 424 contract(s) at a $39.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $57.6K, with a price of $136.0 per contract. There were 0 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 2098 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For GCT (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GCT#NASDAQ">GCT</a>), we notice a call option sweep that happens to be bullish, expiring in 35 day(s) on April 19, 2024. This event was a transfer of 100 contract(s) at a $50.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 14 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $34.0K, with a price of $340.0 per contract. There were 3381 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 1113 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding ETSY (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ETSY#NASDAQ">ETSY</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 280 day(s) on December 20, 2024. Parties traded 352 contract(s) at a $70.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 6 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $383.6K, with a price of $1090.0 per contract. There were 13 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 702 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding WYNN (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/WYNN#NASDAQ">WYNN</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bearish sentiment. It expires in 63 day(s) on May 17, 2024. Parties traded 120 contract(s) at a $110.00 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 5 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $27.0K, with a price of $225.0 per contract. There were 2 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 609 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• For PDD (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PDD#NASDAQ">PDD</a>), we notice a call option trade that happens to be bearish, expiring in 35 day(s) on April 19, 2024. This event was a transfer of 500 contract(s) at a $160.00 strike. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $108.5K, with a price of $217.0 per contract. There were 4001 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 552 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
• Regarding F (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/F#NYSE">F</a>), we observe a call option sweep with bullish sentiment. It expires in 308 day(s) on January 17, 2025. Parties traded 300 contract(s) at a $12.17 strike. This particular call needed to be split into 3 different trades to become filled. The total cost received by the writing party (or parties) was $42.0K, with a price of $140.0 per contract. There were 46402 open contracts at this strike prior to today, and today 549 contract(s) were bought and sold. 
Options Alert Terminology 
 - Call Contracts: The right to buy shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Put Contracts: The right to sell shares as indicated in the contract. 
 - Expiration Date: When the contract expires. One must act on the contract by this date if one wants to use it. 
 - Premium/Option Price: The price of the contract. 
For more information, visit our <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/blog/how-to-understand-option-alerts/">Guide to Understanding Options Alerts</a> or read <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/options">more news on unusual options activity</a>. 
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Options

CVNA

ETSY

Citigourp Global Markets 2% Protected Notes Linked To The Djia

TSLA

WYNN

10 Consumer Discretionary Stocks With Whale Alerts In Today's Session

With its fourth quarter report, Kohl&rsquo;s (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/kss#NYSE">KSS</a>) came short on revenue estimates and issued a weak guidance. On a brighter note, Kohl&rsquo;s swung from a net loss in last year&rsquo;s comparable quarter to a net income and announced its plans to add&nbsp;Babies R Us&nbsp;baby gear&nbsp;to approximately 200 of its stores&nbsp;in the fall to combat off-price and discount retailers like TJX Companies (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tjx#NYSE">TJX</a>) and Target (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tgt#NYSE">TGT</a>).
<h3>Holiday Quarter Highlights</h3>
For the quarter ended on February 3rd, Kohl&rsquo;s reported&nbsp;net sales&nbsp;contracted&nbsp;1.1%&nbsp;YoY&nbsp;to&nbsp;$5.71&nbsp;billion. Kohl&rsquo;s was helped by an extra week in this year&rsquo;s holiday quarter, like its retail peers. But Kohl&rsquo;s turned from a net loss of&nbsp;273 million, or $2.49 per share it reported for last year&rsquo;s comparable quarter, to reporting&nbsp;a net income&nbsp;$186 million, or $1.67 per share, surpassing&nbsp;FactSet&rsquo;s consensus of&nbsp;$1.28 a share. Also on a brighter note,&nbsp;gross margin expanded&nbsp;from 23% reported for&nbsp;last&#39;s comparable quarter&nbsp;to&nbsp;32.4%.
Kohl&rsquo;s reported its full year sales also&nbsp;declined slightly to $16.586 billion, reflecting its ongoing battle with slumping sales.
<h3>Conservative Guidance In Response To An Uncertain Macroeconomic Outlook</h3>
For the year ahead, Kohl&rsquo;s is expecting&nbsp;net sales&nbsp;growth&nbsp;to range from a 1% decrease to 1% increase, with&nbsp;comparable sales&nbsp;ranging from&nbsp;flat to going up 2%.&nbsp;As for earnings per share, Kohl&rsquo;s guided in the range between&nbsp;$2.10 and $2.70, excluding any nonrecurring charges.&nbsp;All in all, Kohl&rsquo;s joined its department store retailer peers in warning 2024 will be a challenging year that is expected to further&nbsp;weaken sales growth.&nbsp;
The holiday quarter provided a preview of the turnaround plan.
CEO Tom Kingsbury&nbsp;noted that the&nbsp;Q4 comp&nbsp;result&nbsp;was the&nbsp;company&rsquo;s&nbsp;best since 2010&nbsp;as&nbsp;Kohl&rsquo;s is taking action to boost&nbsp;foot traffic and&nbsp;lure in&nbsp;younger shoppers&nbsp;in response to budget-conscious shoppers shifting towards off-price retailers like the TJX Companies and Ross Stores Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rost#NASDAQ">ROST</a>).&nbsp;TJX surpassed analyst estimates with its holiday quarter&nbsp;performance. Increased customer transactions during the holiday season&nbsp;fueled&nbsp;comparable store sales at TJX&nbsp;to rise&nbsp;5%. But even TJX guided for a weaker than expected year ahead.
The strategy to boost purchases in several ways.
With Babies R Us exclusive licensing agreement,&nbsp;Kohl&rsquo;s&nbsp;is gaining a&nbsp;potential growth driver. During the reported holiday quarter, Kohl&rsquo;s showed how it intends to snap out of its sales slump by&nbsp;adding&nbsp;pet merchandise, home decor,&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;impulse and gifting items. But while navigating a year of transition and net sales for the year contracting slightly,&nbsp;gross margin and net income&nbsp;improved as a result of strategic initiatives. Kohl&rsquo;s is positioned to perform better this year, but it still has a long way to go when it comes to achieving stellar growth.
DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as investing advice.
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga&#39;s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

Kohl's Swung To A Quarterly Profit As It Showed A Preview Of Its Turnaround Strategy To Combat Slumping Sales

Last Thursday, The Gap Inc (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/gps#NYSE">GPS</a>) topped analyst estimates with its fourth fiscal quarter results thanks to financial and operational discipline, along with a demand rebound for its namesake brand.&nbsp;The clothing retailer has been losing customers to its rivals, such as Shein and Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/amzn#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) and although it still isn&rsquo;t back to sales growth, its margins are showing it is getting better. Although Gap did start to turn things around, it is also expecting a rough year ahead for consumers, like its peers Ross Stores Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rost#NASDAQ">ROST</a>), as well as Victoria&rsquo;s Secret &amp; Co (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/vsco#NYSE">VSCO</a>) who along with Foot Locker (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/fl#NYSE">FL</a>) had a rough quarter.
<h3>Fiscal Fourth Quarter Highlights</h3>
For the quarter ended on February 3rd, Gap saw a tiny YoY increase of 1% in sales that amounted to&nbsp;$4.3 billion, but still surpassing LSEG&rsquo;s estimate of&nbsp;$4.22 billion. But, the increase is owed to an additional week during fiscal 2023 that benefited Gap&rsquo;s retail peers as well. However,&nbsp;Old Navy grew 6% to $2.29 billion&nbsp;and more importantly, returned to growth for the first time in more than a year.
With&nbsp;fewer markdowns and lower input costs.&nbsp;overall gross margin surged 5.3 percentage points to 38.9%, surpassing StreetAccount&rsquo;s estimate of&nbsp;&nbsp;36%. As a result, Gap went from last year&rsquo;s loss to a net income of&nbsp;$185 million, or 49 cents per share, smashing LSEG&rsquo;s estimate of&nbsp;23 cents.
Comparable sales remained flat, which is better than StreetAccount&rsquo;s estimate of a drop.&nbsp;In-store sales&nbsp;rose&nbsp;4%&nbsp;but online sales contracted&nbsp;2%, making 40% of total revenue.
<h3>Brand Segmentation</h3>
Old Navy sales expanded&nbsp;6% to $2.29 billion&nbsp;with comparable sales rising 2%.
Gap sales contracted 5%&nbsp;to $1.01 billion, but comparable sales rose 4%.
Banana Republic sales also contracted 2% to&nbsp;$567 million&nbsp;with&nbsp;comparable sales&nbsp;also dropping 4%. Re-establishing the Banana Republic brand for it to shine in the premium lifestyle space will take more time, with the CEO Richard Dickson acknowledging that it is&nbsp;behind on the fundamentals.
Although having improved from the previous quarter,&nbsp;Athleta&nbsp;sales dropped&nbsp;4% to $419 million with comparable sales tanking 10% as the brand is holding the pricing fort.
<h3>A Muddy Outlook</h3>
For both the current quarter and fiscal year, Gap is expecting sales to be roughly flat as&nbsp;apparel market is expected to decline&nbsp;this year. Even Urban Outfitters Inc (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/urbn#NASDAQ">URBN</a>) is thinking of revamping its namesake stores after having observed consumers are no longer as cheery as they were after getting out of the pandemic. Unlike Gap, Urban Outfitters missed estimates with its latest earnings report. Ross Stores Inc also opted for a conservative approach due to seeing consumers being pressured with increased costs of living. Victoria &amp; Secret also provided a cautious outlook in response to weakened demand in North America.
Gap seems to be on track to reinvigorate its brands.
Gap is expecting&nbsp;grow its gross margin by at least a half percentage point in fiscal 2024.&nbsp;It did a good job at improving its gross margin and cost structure last year, along with strengthening its marketing efforts that sparked&nbsp;enthusiasm from women shoppers,&nbsp;but it&rsquo;s still far from getting its mojo back.
DISCLAIMER: This content is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as investing advice.
This article is from an unpaid external contributor. It does not represent Benzinga&#39;s reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.

Wednesday marks the last chance for investors to receive the next dividend payout from Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>). 
<h3>What's Happening</h3>
The company announced on Tuesday that it would pay shareholders a quarterly dividend of 36.75 cents per share. On Thursday, Ross Stores will go ex-dividend, meaning the stock will trade lower to reflect that payout. In other words, the stock will likely open 36.75 cents lower than it would have opened on any other day.
In order to be eligible to receive a company's dividend, shareholders must own the stock prior to the ex-dividend date—in this case, Thursday. Shareholders who own ROST as of the end of Wednesday's session are eligible to receive the 36.75 cents dividend payout for every share that they own. 
According to the company, this dividend will be paid out to shareholders on March 29, 2024. Investors will then be able to either reinvest those dividends back into the stock or use the payment in some other way. 
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ROST">Track real-time stock fluctuations for Ross Stores on Benzinga.</a>

Dividends

Wednesday Is Your Last Chance To Buy Ross Stores Before The Dividend Payout

TARGETING APPROXIMATELY 90 OPENINGS IN 2024
DUBLIN, Calif., March 11, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --&nbsp;Ross Stores, Inc. opened 11 Ross Dress for Less&#xAE; ("Ross") and seven dd's DISCOUNTS&#xAE; stores in 11 different states in February and March. These new locations are part of the Company's plans to add approximately 90 new stores, comprised of about 75 Ross and 15 dd's DISCOUNTS, during fiscal 2024.&nbsp;
"This Spring, we continued to expand the store base of both Ross and dd's. Specifically for Ross, we expanded our presence in the newer markets of Michigan and New York, while dd's growth primarily focused on existing markets of California, Florida, and Texas," said Gregg McGillis, Group Executive Vice President, Property Development. "We now operate a total of 2,127 Ross Dress for Less and dd's DISCOUNTS locations across 43 states, the District of Columbia, and Guam. As we look out over the long term, we remain confident that Ross can grow to 2,900 locations and dd's DISCOUNTS can become a chain of 700 stores given consumers' ongoing focus on value and convenience."

Ross Stores Opens 18 New Locations; Co Targeting ~90 Openings In 2024

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) has outperformed the market over the past 10 years by 4.24% on an annualized basis producing an average annual return of 14.99%. Currently, Ross Stores has a market capitalization of $49.09 billion. 
Buying $100 In ROST: If an investor had bought $100 of ROST stock 10 years ago, it would be worth $403.84 today based on a price of $145.81 for ROST at the time of writing.
<h3>Ross Stores's Performance Over Last 10 Years</h3>
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1709919020_0_0.png" alt="comp_fig" />
Finally -- what's the point of all this? The key insight to take from this article is to note how much of a difference compounded returns can make in your cash growth over a period of time.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Here's How Much You Would Have Made Owning Ross Stores Stock In The Last 10 Years

Markets rallied across the board on Wednesday, erasing the uptick in volatility seen in the previous session, following reassurances from Fed Chair Jerome Powell regarding the Fed&#8217;s willingness to ease monetary policy in 2024 if inflation consistently moves <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/03/37514990/powell-stresses-need-for-more-data-before-considering-rate-cuts-downplays-recession-commer">toward the 2% target.</a>
On Wall Street, all indices saw gains in midday trading, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 leading the way, up by 1.2%, outperforming both the S&amp;P 500, which rose by 0.8%, and the Dow Jones, which saw a 0.6% increase. Each of the eleven sectors comprising the S&amp;P 500 reported gains, indicating a widespread rally in the stock market.
Small-cap stocks also saw notable gains, with the iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/IWM#NYSE">IWM</a>) up by 1%, poised to recover losses from Tuesday.
Among the standout performers within the Magnificent Seven, Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) once again led the pack, up by over 3%, fueled by a broader surge in the semiconductor industry.
Moreover, the bullish sentiment spilled over into other asset classes, with bonds, commodities, and cryptocurrencies all benefiting from the decline in the greenback and Treasury yields.
Gold, represented by the SPDR Gold Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GLD#NYSE">GLD</a>), surged by 0.8%, surpassing the $2,150/oz mark and marking new all-time highs. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose by 2.4% to $80 per barrel, reaching the highest level in four months, following EIA data revealing a lower-than-expected surge in weekly inventories.
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/btc/usd">BTC</a>) reclaimed $67,000, bouncing back following a drop to $60,000 on Tuesday shortly after reaching record highs.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Wednesday&#8217;s Performance In US Major Indices, ETFs</h2>
<figure class="wp-block-table is-style-stripes"> 
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Major Indices</td>
<td>Price</td>
<td>%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nasdaq 100</td>
<td>18,103.90</td>
<td>1.2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Russell 2000</td>
<td>2,073.72</td>
<td>1.0%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>S&amp;P 500</td>
<td>5,121.78</td>
<td>0.8%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dow Jones</td>
<td>38,776.17</td>
<td>0.5%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</figure>
The&nbsp;SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) rose 0.8% to $511.45, the&nbsp;SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DIA#NYSE">DIA</a>) surged 0.5% to $388.19 and the tech-heavy&nbsp;Invesco QQQ Trust&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>) rallied 1.2% to $441.15, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>.&nbsp;
The&nbsp;Technology&nbsp;Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLE#NYSE">XLE</a>), was the top performer, up by 1.4%, while the&nbsp;Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR Fund&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XLY#NYSE">XLY</a>) slightly lagged behind, up by 0.2%.&nbsp;
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Wednesday&#8217;s Stock Movers</h2>
<ul>
<li>CrowdStrike Holding Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CRWD#NASDAQ">CRWD</a>) rose over 13% after the company reported better-than-<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/03/37514294/crowdstrike-shares-explode-on-q4-earnings-12-analysts-revise-their-forecasts#:~:text=Analyst%20Matthew%20Hedberg%20reiterated%20an,FCF%20margin%2C%E2%80%9D%20Hedberg%20said.">expected results last quarter. </a></li>
<li>Palantir Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PLTR#NASDAQ">PLTR</a>) rallied nearly 12% after winning a prime contract worth $178.4 million from the U.S. Army for developing and delivering the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/03/b37505420/army-selects-palantir-to-deliver-titan-next-generation-deep-sensing-capability-in-prototype-matura" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN) ground station system</a> </li>
<li>New York Community Bancorp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NYCB#NYSE">NYCB</a>) plummeted by 42% after news surfaced that the troubled regional bank is pursuing equity capital raising.</li>
<li>Despite surpassing earnings forecasts, Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/JWN#NYSE">JWN</a>) experienced a decline of over 15% as it disclosed weaker-than-anticipated guidance for 2024. In a similar fashion, Foot Locker Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FL#NYSE">FL</a>) fell 30%. </li>
<li>Other companies reacting to earnings are Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>), down about 1%, Campbell Soup Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CPB#NYSE">CPB</a>), down by 0.3%, United Natural Foods, Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNFI#NYSE">UNFI</a>), down 15%, Abercrombie &amp; Fitch Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ANF#NYSE">ANF</a>), down 6%. </li>
<li>DexCom Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DXCM#NASDAQ">DXCM</a>) rose 9% after the FDA approved Stelo Glucose Biosensor System as the first over-the-counter (OTC)&nbsp;continuous glucose monitor (CGM).&nbsp;</li>
<li>Entravision Communications Corporation (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/EVC#NYSE">EVC</a>)&nbsp;tumbled by over 50% after the company received communication from&nbsp;Meta Platforms Inc&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) that it intends to&nbsp;wind down its authorized sales partner (ASPs) program.</li>
<li>Victoria&#8217;s Secret &amp; Co. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VSCO#NYSE">VSCO</a>) is due to report after the close.</li>
</ul>
Now Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/24/03/37514990/powell-stresses-need-for-more-data-before-considering-rate-cuts-downplays-recession-commer">Powell Stresses Need For &#8216;More Data&#8217; Before Considering Rate Cuts, Downplays Recession, Commercial Real Estate Risks</a>
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Stocks Surge, Gold Hits New All-Time High, Bitcoin Reclaims $67,000 As Powell Reassures Wall Street: What's Driving Markets Wednesday?

16 analysts have shared their evaluations of Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) during the recent three months, expressing a mix of bullish and bearish perspectives.
Summarizing their recent assessments, the table below illustrates the evolving sentiments in the past 30 days and compares them to the preceding months.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th></th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Bullish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Somewhat Bullish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Indifferent</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Somewhat Bearish</th>
<th style="text-align: right;">Bearish</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Total Ratings</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">4</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">8</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">4</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Last 30D</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">4</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">6</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">3</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3M Ago</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">1</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
<td style="text-align: right;">0</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
The 12-month price targets assessed by analysts reveal further insights, featuring an average target of $160.12, a high estimate of $172.00, and a low estimate of $142.00. This current average has increased by 13.16% from the previous average price target of $141.50. 
<img src="https://www.benzinga.com/files/images/story/2024/1709751642_0_0.png" alt="price target chart" />
<h2>Decoding Analyst Ratings: A Detailed Look</h2>
An in-depth analysis of recent analyst actions unveils how financial experts perceive Ross Stores. The following summary outlines key analysts, their recent evaluations, and adjustments to ratings and price targets.
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Analyst</th>
<th>Analyst Firm</th>
<th>Action Taken</th>
<th>Rating</th>
<th>Current Price Target</th>
<th>Prior Price Target</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Laura Champine</td>
<td>Loop Capital</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$170.00</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jay Sole</td>
<td>UBS</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
<td>$145.00</td>
<td>$142.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Alex Straton</td>
<td>Morgan Stanley</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$161.00</td>
<td>$155.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Brooke Roach</td>
<td>Goldman Sachs</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$163.00</td>
<td>$143.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Simeon Siegel</td>
<td>BMO Capital</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$165.00</td>
<td>$138.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Corey Tarlowe</td>
<td>Jefferies</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Hold</td>
<td>$147.00</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Paul Lejuez</td>
<td>Citigroup</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$172.00</td>
<td>$147.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mark Altschwager</td>
<td>Baird</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$162.00</td>
<td>$145.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Robert Drbul</td>
<td>Guggenheim</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Buy</td>
<td>$165.00</td>
<td>$140.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Matthew Boss</td>
<td>JP Morgan</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$163.00</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Adrienne Yih</td>
<td>Barclays</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$163.00</td>
<td>$160.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>John Kernan</td>
<td>TD Cowen</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$169.00</td>
<td>$144.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Dana Telsey</td>
<td>Telsey Advisory Group</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Market Perform</td>
<td>$160.00</td>
<td>$135.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Michael Binetti</td>
<td>Evercore ISI Group</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Outperform</td>
<td>$165.00</td>
<td>$155.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Jay Sole</td>
<td>UBS</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Neutral</td>
<td>$142.00</td>
<td>$85.00</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Ike Boruchow</td>
<td>Wells Fargo</td>
<td>Raises</td>
<td>Overweight</td>
<td>$150.00</td>
<td>$140.00</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<h3>Key Insights:</h3>
<ul>
<li>Action Taken: Analysts adapt their recommendations to changing market conditions and company performance. Whether they 'Maintain', 'Raise' or 'Lower' their stance, it reflects their response to recent developments related to Ross Stores. This information provides a snapshot of how analysts perceive the current state of the company.</li>
<li>Rating: Unveiling insights, analysts deliver qualitative insights into stock performance, from 'Outperform' to 'Underperform'. These ratings convey expectations for the relative performance of Ross Stores compared to the broader market.</li>
<li>Price Targets: Analysts predict movements in price targets, offering estimates for Ross Stores's future value. Examining the current and prior targets offers insights into analysts' evolving expectations.</li>
</ul>
Understanding these analyst evaluations alongside key financial indicators can offer valuable insights into Ross Stores's market standing. Stay informed and make well-considered decisions with our Ratings Table.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ROST/analyst-ratings?utm_source=Benzinga Insights">Stay up to date on Ross Stores analyst ratings.</a>
<h2>All You Need to Know About Ross Stores</h2>
Ross Stores operates as an off-price apparel and accessories retailer with the majority of its sales derived from its Ross Dress for Less banner. The firm opportunistically procures excess brand-name merchandise made available via manufacturing overruns and retail liquidation sales at a 20%-60% discount to full prices. As such, its stores are frequently filled with a vast array of stock-keeping units, each with minimal product depth that creates a treasure hunt shopping experience. The firm's more than 1,750 Ross Dress for Less stores are primarily located in densely populated suburban communities and typically serve middle-income consumers. Ross also operates nearly 350 DD's Discounts chains that target lower-income shoppers.
<h3>Financial Insights: Ross Stores</h3>
Market Capitalization Analysis: The company's market capitalization surpasses industry averages, showcasing a dominant size relative to peers and suggesting a strong market position.
Revenue Growth: Ross Stores's remarkable performance in 3 months is evident. As of 31 October, 2023, the company achieved an impressive revenue growth rate of 7.87%. This signifies a substantial increase in the company's top-line earnings. As compared to its peers, the company achieved a growth rate higher than the average among peers in Consumer Discretionary sector.
Net Margin: Ross Stores's net margin is impressive, surpassing industry averages. With a net margin of 9.08%, the company demonstrates strong profitability and effective cost management.
Return on Equity (ROE): Ross Stores's ROE excels beyond industry benchmarks, reaching 9.9%. This signifies robust financial management and efficient use of shareholder equity capital.
Return on Assets (ROA): Ross Stores's ROA excels beyond industry benchmarks, reaching 3.17%. This signifies efficient management of assets and strong financial health.
Debt Management: With a below-average debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, Ross Stores adopts a prudent financial strategy, indicating a balanced approach to debt management.
<h2>The Significance of Analyst Ratings Explained</h2>
Benzinga tracks 150 analyst firms and reports on their stock expectations. Analysts typically arrive at their conclusions by predicting how much money a company will make in the future, usually the upcoming five years, and how risky or predictable that company's revenue streams are.
Analysts attend company conference calls and meetings, research company financial statements, and communicate with insiders to publish their ratings on stocks. Analysts typically rate each stock once per quarter or whenever the company has a major update.
Analysts may supplement their ratings with predictions for metrics like growth estimates, earnings, and revenue, offering investors a more comprehensive outlook. However, investors should be mindful that analysts, like any human, can have subjective perspectives influencing their forecasts.
This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.

Analyst Ratings

A Glimpse Into The Expert Outlook On Ross Stores Through 16 Analysts

Loop Capital analyst Laura Champine maintains Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $150 to $170.

Price Target

Loop Capital Maintains Buy on Ross Stores, Raises Price Target to $170

UBS analyst Jay Sole maintains Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) with a Neutral and raises the price target from $142 to $145.

UBS Maintains Neutral on Ross Stores, Raises Price Target to $145

Morgan Stanley analyst Alex Straton maintains Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) with a Overweight and raises the price target from $155 to $161.

Morgan Stanley Maintains Overweight on Ross Stores, Raises Price Target to $161

Goldman Sachs analyst Brooke Roach maintains Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $143 to $163.

Goldman Sachs Maintains Buy on Ross Stores, Raises Price Target to $163

BMO Capital analyst Simeon Siegel maintains Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) with a Outperform and raises the price target from $138 to $165.

BMO Capital Maintains Outperform on Ross Stores, Raises Price Target to $165

Jefferies analyst Corey Tarlowe maintains Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) with a Hold and raises the price target from $135 to $147.

Jefferies Maintains Hold on Ross Stores, Raises Price Target to $147

Citigroup analyst Paul Lejuez maintains Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ROST#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) with a Buy and raises the price target from $147 to $172.

Citigroup Maintains Buy on Ross Stores, Raises Price Target to $172

Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades and downgrades, please see our <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/">analyst ratings page</a>.
<ul>
<li>Morgan Stanley boosted the price target for Sea Limited (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/se#NYSE">SE</a>) from $47 to $65. Morgan Stanley analyst Mark Goodridge maintained an Equal-Weight rating. Sea shares gained 3.4% to close at $55.75 on Tuesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/SE/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Barclays raised the price target for Target Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/tgt#NYSE">TGT</a>) from $142 to $169. Barclays analyst Seth Sigman maintained an Equal-Weight rating. Target shares jumped 12% to close at $168.58 on Tuesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/TGT/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Chardan Capital lowered Seres Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/mcrb#NASDAQ">MCRB</a>) price target from $10 to $8. Chardan Capital analyst Keay Nakae maintained a Buy rating. Seres Therapeutics shares fell 7% to close at $1.06 on Tuesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/MCRB/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>B of A Securities boosted the price target for Nordstrom, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/jwn#NYSE">JWN</a>) from $13 to $15. B of A Securities analyst Lorraine Hutchinson maintained an Underperform rating. Nordstrom shares gained 1.6% to close at $20.90 on Tuesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/JWN/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Needham cut ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/chpt#NYSE">CHPT</a>) price target from $4 to $3. Needham analyst Chris Pierce maintained a Buy rating. ChargePoint shares fell 3.4% to close at $2.00 on Monday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CHPT/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Keybanc boosted the price target for CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/crwd#NASDAQ">CRWD</a>) from $375 to $430. Keybanc analyst Eric Heath maintained an Overweight rating. CrowdStrike shares fell 5.2% to close at $297.56 on Tuesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/CRWD/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Wells Fargo slashed Twilio Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/twlo#NYSE">TWLO</a>) price target from $70 to $60. Wells Fargo analyst Michael Turrin maintained an Equal-Weight rating. Twilio shares fell 5.9% to close at $56.66 on Tuesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/TWLO/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Guggenheim boosted Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/rost#NASDAQ">ROST</a>) price target from $140 to $165. Guggenheim analyst Robert Drbul maintained a Buy rating. Ross Stores shares fell 0.5% to close at $149.17 on Tuesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/ROST/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
<li>Canaccord Genuity cut Traeger, Inc. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/cook#NYSE">COOK</a>) price target from $5 to $4. Canaccord Genuity analyst Brian McNamara maintained a Buy rating. Traeger shares fell 4.2% to close at $2.06 on Tuesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/COOK/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock</a>.</li>
<li>Berenberg raised Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/emr#NYSE">EMR</a>) price target from $100 to $130. Berenberg analyst Philip Buller maintained a Buy rating. Emerson Electric shares fell 0.5% to close at $109.02 on Tuesday. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/EMR/analyst-ratings">See how other analysts view this stock.</a></li>
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Ross Stores Inc (ROST) is the highest overall rated company in the Apparel Retail industry with an overall score of 72. ROST is up 43.64% so far this year after the company closed yesterday at $147.19.  The overall score measures the company's performance based-off both short and long term indicators and means that ROST sc

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<a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice &amp; Trading Tips</a>
The case for boring stocks to buy stems from good news that could actually be bad news. Yes, we&rsquo;re playing that silly game again.



As InvestorPlace&rsquo;s Shrey Dua mentioned, Wall Street is <a href="https://investorplace.com/2024/04/recession-vs-rate-cut-what-does-the-march-jobs-report-means-for-stocks/">divided over the March jobs report</a>. On one hand, the latest print &ndash; 303,000 nonfarm payrolls added &ndash; demonstrates continued strength in the economy. That was more than 100,000 jobs above analysts&rsquo; expectations. But on the other hand, the robust figures also mean that the Federal Reserve might not lower interest rates.



Yes, the central bank claimed earlier that inflation was tracking along encouragingly. However, with gold and oil prices rising, that might not be the case any longer. For those who are feeling jittery about the potential paradigm shift, these are the boring stocks to buy.



<h2>Grocery Outlet (GO)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/comsumer-goods-grocery-store-1600-300x169.png" alt="Empty grocery cart in a grocery store aisle. Consumer goods."><div>Source: gyn9037 / Shutterstock</div></div>Fundamentally, Grocery Outlet (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/go-stock-quote/">GO</a>) aligns with a irrefutable logic: we all have to eat. Not only that, GO stock aligns with a financial logic. Many of us have to eat as cheaply as possible. Given that the company offers consumable and fresh products through an independent operated store system along with discounted prices, the business model is exceptionally compelling.



I understand that the analysts don&rsquo;t particularly care for it. Right now, they rate shares as a <a href="https://www.tipranks.com/stocks/go/forecast">consensus hold</a>. I&rsquo;m not entirely sure why that is. On the financial performance front, it&rsquo;s doing quite well. For one thing, the company beat all its quarterly bottom-line targets for fiscal 2023. Further, the average positive earnings surprise landed at nearly 17%.



For the current fiscal year, experts believe that earnings per share will come in at $1.17. That&rsquo;s an improvement over last year&rsquo;s result of $1.07. Further, they&rsquo;re looking at a sales target of $4.34 billion, up 9.2% from 2023&rsquo;s haul of $3.97 billion. With the relevant business, GO is one of the boring stocks to buy.



<h2>Ross Stores (ROST)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ROST1600-300x169.jpg" alt="Photo of the storefront of a Ross store"><div>Source: Shutterstock</div></div>A discount retailer, Ross Stores (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/rost-stock-quote/">ROST</a>) definitely belongs on your list of boring stocks to buy. Primarily, it rises to the forefront because of its business model. The company takes overstock brand-name products and sells them to customers at discounted prices. It&rsquo;s a symbiotic relationship, with the brand names happy to move not-moving inventory while customers get quality products for less.



I like to think that everyone wins and that may especially be the case if inflation continues to rise higher. That&rsquo;s because with higher costs, companies will be looking to cut overhead. We&rsquo;ve already seen major technology enterprises issue pink slips despite the innovation ecosystem benefiting from major equity booms. Bottom line, people will be out looking for new jobs. So, they&rsquo;re going to need to dress up their office attire &ndash; and cheaply.



For me, Ross Stores is practically a no-brainer investment. Last fiscal year, the company&rsquo;s average positive earnings surprise came out to nearly 9%. This year, experts are looking for EPS of $5.94, an improvement over last year&rsquo;s $5.56. Also, revenue should hit $21.25 billion, up 4.3% year-over-year.



<h2>Costco (COST)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/cost1600-300x169.jpg" alt="A Costco Wholesale (COST) warehouse in Auburn Hills, Michigan."><div>Source: ilzesgimene / Shutterstock.com</div></div>In my opinion, membership-only big-box retailer Costco (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/cost-stock-quote/">COST</a>) practically sells itself as one of the boring stocks to buy. If you visit any Costco, it absolutely is boring. It&rsquo;s a suburban utopia or perdition, depending on your perspective. Still, what I love about COST stock is that the underlying enterprise commands a high-income membership base.



If inflation gets out of control, Costco shoppers will likely be the last to be impacted severely. These are not paycheck-to-paycheck type of folks. Rather, they&rsquo;re rebalancing their 401K people. It&rsquo;s a more sophisticated consumer base, to put it diplomatically. And that often equates to higher educational attainment along with bigger salaries.



Now, Costco did incur a bum note for the quarter ended May 30, 2023. However, in the three quarters since then, the average positive earnings surprise came out to 4.83%. Looking to the current fiscal year, experts project EPS of $16.16, above last year&rsquo;s $14.16.



Also, revenue should hit $254.17 billion, up 4.9% YOY. And fiscal 2025&rsquo;s revenue could be $272.34 billion. It&rsquo;s a compelling example of boring stocks to buy.



<h2>Ollie&rsquo;s Bargain Outlet (OLLI)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/olli-stock-1-300x169.jpg" alt="The exterior of an Ollie's Bargain outlet retail location"><div>Source: George Sheldon / Shutterstock.com</div></div>Of course, not everyone has the luxury of shopping at Costco or wants to. And as we&rsquo;ve seen with the <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/05/tech-layoffs-2023-list/">tech layoffs</a>, even lifelong Costco shoppers might not be so safe. For these and myriad other reasons, we have Ollie&rsquo;s Bargain Outlet (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/olli-stock-quote/">OLLI</a>). If you&rsquo;re worried about the impact that inflation might have on your portfolio, OLLI stock should be watched closely.



Yes, there are competing discount dollar stores. Arguably, most of them stink when stacked against Ollie&rsquo;s. In part, that&rsquo;s because the company features <a href="https://www.tipranks.com/news/article/why-ollies-bargain-outlet-stock-nasdaqolli-is-outperforming-its-rivals">higher margins</a> compared to pure-play discount dollar stores. Stated differently, the discount specialists may be discounting too much, thus ironically hurting the business. Also, Ollie&rsquo;s has the advantage of offering name-brand products but at a cheaper price.



Predictably, the financial performance is strong. In fiscal 2023, Ollie&rsquo;s posted an average earnings surprise of 8.6% above analysts&rsquo; expectations. For the current fiscal year, experts believe that EPS will reach $3.18, above last year&rsquo;s result of $2.91.



Lastly, revenue could hit $2.27 billion, 7.7% above last year&rsquo;s $2.1 billion in sales. It&rsquo;s one of the boring stocks to buy.



<h2>Microsoft (MSFT)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/msft1600-1-300x169.png" alt="Microsoft logo close up. Microsoft (MSFT) Flagship Store Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, NYC."><div>Source: The Art of Pics / Shutterstock.com</div></div>There are many reasons to acquire shares of Microsoft (NASDAQ:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/msft-stock-quote/">MSFT</a>). Not only that, some might object to calling MSFT one of the boring stocks to buy because of its investments. Microsoft has poured in billions in artificial intelligence and that has clearly paid dividends (in a metaphorical sense &ndash; no one&rsquo;s celebrating its measly 0.7% forward yield).



However, the reason that I do like MSFT under the context of this article is very much boring. Yes, AI, schmay-I&hellip;what I&rsquo;m looking at is its Software as a Service (SaaS). Specifically, its Microsoft Office 365 may see increased demand due to the expansion of the gig economy. You see, with many people being laid off, some might not be so eager to climb the corporate ladder again.



Indeed, I bet that many folks will instead look to forging their own path as independent contractors. It&rsquo;s one of the many reasons why the gig economy could expand at a compound annual growth rate of 16.18% to <a href="https://www.businessresearchinsights.com/market-reports/gig-economy-market-102503">hit a valuation of $1.86 trillion by 2031</a>.



Analysts are looking for Microsoft to produce EPS of $11.65 on revenue of $244.22 billion. These numbers may be foregone conclusions.



<h2>Sempra (SRE)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/sre-sempra-energy-1600-300x169.png" alt="The logo for Sempra (SRE) is seen at the top of an office building."><div>Source: Michael Vi / Shutterstock.com</div></div>One of the easy names to consider when it comes to boring stocks to buy, Sempra (NYSE:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/sre-stock-quote/">SRE</a>) is a utility giant. It focuses on key markets in Southern California, particularly San Diego. Fundamentally, Sempra benefits from two bullish catalysts. Number one, it enjoys a natural monopoly. The business is entrenched and would-be competitors face a mountain of barriers such as regulatory considerations.



Number two, Sempra benefits from favorable population dynamics. Yes, the Southern California real estate market is red hot, arguably overpriced. Yet San Diego in particular continues to see <a href="https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/cities/23129/san-diego/population#:~:text=The%20current%20metro%20area%20population,a%200.7%25%20increase%20from%202021.">rising population growth</a> and this expansion <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/san-diego/2023/08/14/san-diego-population-decline-forecast">might not abate until 2042</a>. You know what that means? A darn long upside pathway.



So, when analysts project current fiscal year EPS to hit $4.80 (an improvement over last year&rsquo;s $4.61), I believe it. When they state, though, that revenue will decline 1% year-over-year to $16.55 billion, I don&rsquo;t believe it. The fundamental stats suggest otherwise.



Even if you don&rsquo;t assume growth, Sempra&rsquo;s forward yield of 3.53% adds to the overall bullish case. It&rsquo;s one of the boring stocks to buy.



<h2>Philip Morris (PM)</h2>



<div><img width="300" height="169" src="https://investorplace.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/pm-1600-300x169.png" alt="Philip Morris factory offices in Lithuania. PM stock."><div>Source: Vytautas Kielaitis / Shutterstock</div></div>Ah yes, the controversial Philip Morris (NYSE:<a href="https://investorplace.com/stock-quotes/pm-stock-quote/">PM</a>). As a tobacco giant, Philip Morris may be one of the boring stocks to buy. However, it generates excitement in the political realm (though not of the good kind). With anti-tobacco advocacy groups performing an excellent job of awareness of the underlying commodity&rsquo;s health risks, PM stock seems an unusually silly investment.



Yes, traditional cigarette-smoking stats don&rsquo;t necessarily augur well for the tobacco ecosystem. However, the fading prevalence doesn&rsquo;t mean that there are no tobacco users whatsoever. Further, as the world becomes more diverse, prevalence rates may change due to shifting cultural standards. Also, Philip Morris stands to benefit from the <a href="https://www.aafp.org/news/health-of-the-public/young-adults-e-cigarettes.html#:~:text=Estimates%20of%20annual%20National%20Health,from%2015.5%20million%20products%20per">enormous popularity of vaping</a>. Like it or not, that&rsquo;s a big catalyst for PM.



Subsequently, analysts are calling for EPS of $6.40 on sales of $37.24 billion for the current fiscal year. Last year, the stats were $6.01 EPS on revenue of $35.25 billion. That&rsquo;s a decent improvement and believable based on elements such as vaping.



Plus, the company pays a nice forward dividend of 5.64%.



On the date of publication, Josh Enomoto did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article.&nbsp;The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com&nbsp;<a href="https://investorplace.com/corporate/investorplace-publishing-guidelines/" target="_blank">Publishing Guidelines</a>.
<div>A former senior business analyst for Sony Electronics, Josh Enomoto has helped broker major contracts with Fortune Global 500 companies. Over the past several years, he has delivered unique, critical insights for the investment markets, as well as various other industries including legal, construction management, and healthcare. Tweet him at @EnomotoMedia.</div><h3>More From InvestorPlace</h3>
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The post <a href="https://investorplace.com/2024/04/7-boring-stocks-to-buy-as-inflation-crimps-sentiment/">7 Boring Stocks to Buy as Inflation Crimps Sentiment</a> appeared first on <a href="https://investorplace.com">InvestorPlace</a>.

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