Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI Has $295,000 Stake in Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST)

Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI increased its holdings in shares of Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) by 38.2% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 1,958 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 541 shares during the quarter. Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI’s holdings in Ross Stores were worth $295,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Riverview Trust Co bought a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the first quarter worth approximately $26,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. bought a new stake in Ross Stores in the 2nd quarter valued at $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 valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 152 shares in the last quarter. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Ross Stores during the 2nd quarter worth $32,000. Finally, Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Ross Stores during the third quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors own 86.86% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other Ross Stores news, COO Michael J. Hartshorn sold 8,366 shares of the business’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 sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 103,049 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,038,546.36. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, CEO Barbara Rentler sold 48,885 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, August 27th. The stock was 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 directly owns 311,853 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $48,003,532.29. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, COO Michael J. Hartshorn sold 8,366 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, September 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.64, for a total value of $1,302,084.24. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 103,049 shares in the company, valued at $16,038,546.36. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 72,138 shares of company stock valued at $11,093,051 over the last quarter. 2.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $173.00 to $185.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 23rd. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $147.00 to $167.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Ross Stores from $163.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. StockNews.com raised Ross Stores from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, September 14th. Finally, Loop Capital upped their target price on Ross Stores from $170.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 23rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $169.71.

Ross Stores Trading Down 0.6 %

Shares of Ross Stores stock opened at $144.38 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $149.50 and its 200 day moving average is $143.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.90 billion, a PE ratio of 23.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.09. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 1 year low of $112.39 and a 1 year high of $163.60. 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 (NASDAQ:ROST) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 22nd. The apparel retailer reported $1.59 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.50 by $0.09. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.82% and a return on equity of 42.43%. The company had revenue of $5.29 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.25 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.32 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.2 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 10th were issued a dividend of $0.3675 per share. This represents a $1.47 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, September 10th. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 23.71%.

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.