Core Viewpoint - Ross Stores reported strong earnings with an EPS of $1.79, exceeding analyst expectations, but revenue fell short, indicating potential challenges ahead [2][6]. Financial Performance - EPS for Q4 2024 was $1.79, surpassing the estimated $1.66, aided by a one-time sale [2][6]. - Revenue reached $5.9 billion, missing the estimated $5.943 billion and down from $6 billion in the previous year, reflecting a 2% year-over-year decline [3][6]. - Operating margin remained stable at 12.4%, unchanged from the previous year [3][7]. - Net income was reported at $587 million, a decrease of 3.8% from $610 million in Q4 2023 [3]. Company Overview - Ross Stores is a leader in the off-price retail sector, focusing on buying excess inventory and offering significant discounts on well-known brands [4]. - The company expanded its store count from 2,109 to 2,186 locations over the fiscal year [4]. Strategic Initiatives - The company aims to attract cost-conscious shoppers by providing value-driven options and enhancing operational competitiveness [5]. - Ross's merchandise strategy, termed "packaway," ensures timely inventory deployment, contributing to its pricing advantage [5]. Market Dynamics - Comparable store sales increased by 3%, building on a 7% increase from the prior year, although the sales boost was moderated by an extra week in last year's period [7]. - The company faced challenges due to a dip in consumer activity around Thanksgiving, impacting sales momentum [6]. Future Outlook - For fiscal 2025, Ross projects flat to a 3% decline in comparable store sales for the first quarter, reflecting caution regarding macroeconomic conditions [8]. - Management anticipates annual EPS to range from $5.95 to $6.55, a slight contraction from the previous year's $6.32, indicating ongoing competitive pressures [8]. Investor Considerations - Investors should focus on Ross's proactive purchasing strategy, which is guided by demographic targeting and geographic positioning in urban areas [9]. - The company is navigating competitive tensions from various retail formats, particularly e-commerce, and localized factors affecting shopper behavior [9].

Group 1 - Ross Stores Inc. shares declined after hours due to forecasts of weaker same-store sales for the year, attributed to recent slowing trends and adverse weather conditions [1] - The company anticipates same-store sales to range from a decline of 1% to an increase of 2%, which is below FactSet's expectation of a 3% gain [2] - Earnings per share are projected to be between $5.95 and $6.55, compared to FactSet's forecast of $6.67 [2]

Earnings Performance - Earnings per share for Q4 2024 were $1.79, down from $1.82 in Q4 2023, with net income of $587 million compared to $610 million last year[5] - Fiscal 2024 earnings per share increased to $6.32, up from $5.56 in fiscal 2023, with net earnings rising to $2.1 billion on sales of $21.1 billion[6] - For Q1 2025, comparable store sales are forecasted to decline by 3% to flat, with projected earnings per share between $1.33 and $1.47[10] - Fiscal 2025 earnings per share are projected to be between $5.95 and $6.55, compared to $6.32 for fiscal 2024[10] Sales and Revenue - Comparable store sales for Q4 2024 grew by 3%, following a robust 7% gain in the same period last year[5] - Ross Stores operates 1,831 locations in 43 states and 355 dd's DISCOUNTS stores, with fiscal 2024 revenues of $21.1 billion[14] Cash and Dividends - A 10% increase in the quarterly cash dividend to $0.405 per share was announced, payable on March 31, 2025[9] - The company ended fiscal 2024 with $4.7 billion in cash after funding growth and capital needs[9] - Dividends paid increased to $488,721, compared to $454,814, marking a rise of 7.5%[20] Assets and Liabilities - Total assets increased to $14,905,332, up from $14,300,109, representing a growth of 4.2% year-over-year[18] - Current liabilities rose to $4,661,825, up 11.4% from $4,185,796 year-over-year[18] - Long-term debt decreased to $1,515,080 from $2,211,017, a reduction of 31.5%[18] - Total current assets grew to $7,538,696, an increase of 1.9% compared to $7,398,138 last year[18] Cash Flow and Investments - Cash flows from operating activities totaled $2,356,988, a decrease of 6.2% from $2,514,490 in the previous year[20] - Net cash used in investing activities was $637,462, down from $762,812, indicating a decrease of 16.4%[20] - The company ended the period with cash and cash equivalents of $4,730,744, a slight decrease from $4,872,446[20] Inventory and Operating Margin - Merchandise inventory increased to $2,444,513, reflecting a rise of 11.5% from $2,192,220[18] - The fourth quarter operating margin was 12.4%, flat compared to the previous year, with a one-time benefit of approximately $0.14 per share from the sale of a packaway facility[7][8] Share Repurchase - The company repurchased 1.7 million shares for $262 million in Q4 2024, totaling 7.3 million shares repurchased for $1.05 billion in fiscal 2024[8]

Core Insights - Ross Stores, Inc. is set to release its fourth-quarter financial results on March 4, with expected earnings of $1.66 per share, a decrease from $1.82 per share in the same quarter last year [1] - The company projects quarterly revenue of $5.95 billion, down from $6.02 billion a year earlier [1] - William Sheehan has been appointed as Deputy CFO of Ross Stores [1] Stock Performance - Ross Stores shares declined by 2.5%, closing at $136.81 [2] Analyst Ratings - Morgan Stanley downgraded Ross Stores from Overweight to Equal-Weight, reducing the price target from $164 to $140 [3] - Wells Fargo also downgraded the stock from Overweight to Equal-Weight, setting a price target of $165 [3] - Guggenheim maintained a Buy rating with a price target of $180 [3] - JP Morgan kept an Overweight rating and raised the price target from $171 to $173 [3] - Evercore ISI Group maintained an Outperform rating and increased the price target from $170 to $180 [3]

Ross Stores, Inc. (ROST) is expected to register a decline in its top and bottom lines when it reports fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 earnings on March 4, after market close. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.65 per share, suggesting a 9.3% drop from $1.82 reported in the year-earlier period. The consensus mark has been unchanged in the past 30 days.Stay up-to-date with all quarterly releases: See Zacks Earnings Calendar.The consensus estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $5.95 bi ...

Core Viewpoint - Wall Street anticipates a year-over-year decline in earnings for Ross Stores due to lower revenues, with a focus on how actual results compare to estimates impacting stock price [1][2] Earnings Expectations - Ross Stores is expected to report quarterly earnings of $1.65 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of 9.3% [3] - Revenue projections stand at $5.94 billion, down 1.4% from the same quarter last year [3] Estimate Revisions - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised down by 0.11% over the last 30 days, indicating a reassessment by analysts [4] - A positive Earnings ESP of +1.41% suggests analysts have recently become more optimistic about the company's earnings prospects [10][11] Earnings Surprise Prediction - The Zacks Earnings ESP model indicates that a positive reading is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, especially when combined with a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold) [8] - Ross Stores currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2, enhancing the likelihood of beating the consensus EPS estimate [11] Historical Performance - In the last reported quarter, Ross Stores exceeded the expected earnings of $1.39 per share, achieving $1.48, resulting in a surprise of +6.47% [12] - The company has successfully beaten consensus EPS estimates in the last four quarters [13] Conclusion - While an earnings beat may not solely dictate stock movement, betting on stocks expected to exceed earnings expectations can increase the odds of success [14][15] - Ross Stores is viewed as a compelling candidate for an earnings beat, but investors should consider other influencing factors as well [16]

Core Insights - Ross Stores (ROST) stock closed at $139.73, reflecting a daily increase of +0.46%, outperforming the S&P 500's gain of 0.24% [1] - Over the past month, Ross Stores' stock has decreased by 6.61%, underperforming the Retail-Wholesale sector's increase of 5.98% and the S&P 500's increase of 2.37% [1] Earnings Report Expectations - Ross Stores is set to release its earnings report on March 4, 2025, with projected earnings of $1.65 per share, indicating a year-over-year decline of 9.34% [2] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is $5.92 billion, which is a decrease of 1.77% compared to the previous year [2] Analyst Estimates and Stock Performance - Recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Ross Stores are being monitored, as they often reflect changes in near-term business trends [3] - Upward revisions in estimates suggest analysts' positive outlook on the company's operations and profit generation capabilities [3] Zacks Rank and Performance - The Zacks Rank system, which ranges from 1 (Strong Buy) to 5 (Strong Sell), indicates that Ross Stores currently holds a Zacks Rank of 2 (Buy) [5] - Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has seen a slight increase of 0.04% [5] Valuation Metrics - Ross Stores has a Forward P/E ratio of 20.83, which is higher than the industry average of 19.02 [6] - The company has a PEG ratio of 2.13, compared to the Retail-Discount Stores industry's average PEG ratio of 2.08 [6] Industry Context - The Retail-Discount Stores industry is part of the Retail-Wholesale sector and currently holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 31, placing it in the top 13% of over 250 industries [7] - Research indicates that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1 [7]

Group 1: Stock Performance and Market Sentiment - Ross Stores (ROST) has experienced a downtrend with a 7% decline over the past four weeks due to excessive selling pressure [1] - The stock is currently in oversold territory, indicated by an RSI reading of 28.75, suggesting a potential for a price rebound [5][6] - Wall Street analysts are optimistic about ROST's ability to report better earnings than previously predicted, indicating a possible turnaround [1][6] Group 2: Technical Analysis and Indicators - The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a key technical indicator used to identify oversold stocks, with a reading below 30 typically indicating oversold conditions [2] - RSI helps investors identify potential reversal points in stock prices, allowing for entry opportunities when a stock is undervalued due to unwarranted selling [3] Group 3: Earnings Estimates and Analyst Ratings - There has been a consensus among sell-side analysts to raise earnings estimates for ROST, with a 0% increase in the consensus EPS estimate over the last 30 days [6] - ROST holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises, further supporting its potential for a turnaround [7]

Core Viewpoint - Ross Stores (ROST) has experienced a downtrend with a 5.8% decline over the past four weeks, but it is now in oversold territory, suggesting a potential turnaround due to analysts' positive earnings outlook [1]. Technical Analysis - The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a key technical indicator used to determine if a stock is oversold, with a reading below 30 typically indicating this condition [2]. - ROST's current RSI reading is 29.42, indicating that the heavy selling pressure may be exhausting, and a trend reversal could be imminent [5]. Fundamental Analysis - There is a strong consensus among sell-side analysts regarding ROST's earnings estimates, with a 0% increase in the consensus EPS estimate over the last 30 days, suggesting potential price appreciation [6]. - ROST holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks, further indicating a favorable outlook for a near-term turnaround [7].

Group 1 - Ross Stores (ROST) has experienced a decline of 6.4% over the past four weeks, but it is now in oversold territory, indicating potential for a trend reversal [1] - The Relative Strength Index (RSI) for ROST is at 27.04, suggesting that the heavy selling pressure may be exhausting, which could lead to a price rebound [5] - There is strong consensus among Wall Street analysts that ROST will report better earnings than previously predicted, with a 0% increase in the consensus EPS estimate over the last 30 days [6] Group 2 - ROST holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), placing it in the top 20% of over 4,000 ranked stocks based on earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises, indicating a strong potential for a turnaround [7]