HBK Sorce Advisory LLC Sells 976 Shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST)

HBK Sorce Advisory LLC reduced its holdings in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 5.9% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 15,523 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after selling 976 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $2,348,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROST. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its position in Ross Stores by 152.9% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 177 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 107 shares during the period. BOK Financial Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. ORG Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Ross Stores by 434.1% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 235 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the 4th quarter worth approximately $51,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $53,000. 86.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Ross Stores Price Performance

Ross Stores stock opened at $123.30 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a current ratio of 1.57. The firm has a market cap of $40.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.15. The business’s fifty day moving average is $143.45 and its two-hundred day moving average is $146.81. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 52 week low of $123.01 and a 52 week high of $163.60.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 4th. The apparel retailer reported $1.79 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.14. The company had revenue of $5.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.95 billion. Ross Stores had a return on equity of 41.83% and a net margin of 9.95%. Equities research analysts forecast that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 18th will be paid a dividend of $0.405 per share. This represents a $1.62 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.31%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 18th. This is a positive change from Ross Stores’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.37. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio is 25.63%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently weighed in on ROST. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Ross Stores from $171.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, November 22nd. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on Ross Stores from $168.00 to $156.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. StockNews.com lowered Ross Stores from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 25th. Wells Fargo & Company reaffirmed a “negative” rating on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Ross Stores from $175.00 to $160.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $161.40.

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.