Ross Stores Slides 3.1% as Weak Retail Data and Pre-Earnings Positioning Weigh

Ross Stores (ROST) is down 3.1% today. Here is some analysis on what might have caused this price movement.

Analysis: The most likely driver appears to be a broader retail-sector pullback after a weak July U.S. retail sales report, which added fresh concern about consumer demand. This could also be because investors are trimming exposure ahead of Ross Stores’ upcoming quarterly earnings release, even though the company’s last guidance was strong. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/3e2bc5807d7396b8e6c5f599941cb2a9?utm_source=openai))

Details:

Ross Stores said in May that first-quarter sales and earnings exceeded guidance, and it projected second-quarter comparable sales growth of 6% to 7% with earnings per share of $1.85 to $1.93. ([investors.rossstores.com](https://investors.rossstores.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ross-stores-reports-robust-first-quarter-sales-and-earnings?utm_source=openai))

The company also raised its fiscal 2026 outlook after that strong first quarter, suggesting the latest share drop is not tied to a newly disclosed deterioration in company guidance. ([investors.rossstores.com](https://investors.rossstores.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ross-stores-reports-robust-first-quarter-sales-and-earnings?utm_source=openai))

Ross expanded its footprint with 47 new stores in June and July and said it still expects to open about 110 locations in 2026, pointing to an ongoing growth plan rather than a company-specific setback. ([investors.rossstores.com](https://investors.rossstores.com/news-releases?utm_source=openai))

U.S. retail sales fell 0.6% in July, the sharpest monthly decline since May 2025, which pressured sentiment across consumer and discount retail names. Ross Stores is also scheduled to report earnings on August 20, 2026, which may have encouraged caution ahead of the event. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/3e2bc5807d7396b8e6c5f599941cb2a9?utm_source=openai))

Sources:

Ross Stores, AP News, Benzinga, Retail Dive

Disclaimer: This price movement analysis was generated with the help of AI. Please double-check the information provided for mistakes.

$ROST Insider Trading Activity

$ROST insiders have traded $ROST stock on the open market 8 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 8 have been sales.

Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $ROST stock by insiders over the last 6 months:

MICHAEL J. HARTSHORN (GROUP PRESIDENT, COO) has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 21,874 shares for an estimated $4,698,514.
KAREN SYKES (PRESIDENT, CMO DD'S DISCOUNTS) has made 0 purchases and 2 sales selling 8,062 shares for an estimated $1,721,738.
KAREN FLEMING (PRES, CMO ROSS DRESS FOR LESS) sold 7,000 shares for an estimated $1,489,285
WILLIAM W II SHEEHAN (EVP, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER) sold 4,883 shares for an estimated $1,059,367
STEPHEN C BRINKLEY (PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS) sold 4,154 shares for an estimated $884,428
PATRICIA H MUELLER sold 1,881 shares for an estimated $400,897

To track insider transactions, check out Quiver Quantitative's insider trading dashboard. You can access data on insider stock transactions through the Quiver Quantitative API insider transaction endpoint.

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$ROST Hedge Fund Activity

We have seen 766 institutional investors add shares of $ROST stock to their portfolio, and 580 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.

Here are some of the largest recent moves:

JPMORGAN CHASE & CO added 8,685,523 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $1,848,713,570
INVESCO LTD. added 6,971,639 shares (+130.4%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $1,483,913,361
EDGEPOINT INVESTMENT GROUP INC. removed 4,292,951 shares (-97.9%) from their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $913,754,620
VIKING GLOBAL INVESTORS LP removed 3,167,479 shares (-100.0%) from their portfolio in Q1 2026, for an estimated $678,141,416
WELLINGTON MANAGEMENT GROUP LLP added 3,118,591 shares (+89.2%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $663,792,094
BLACKROCK, INC. added 3,044,139 shares (+12.2%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $647,944,986
D. E. SHAW & CO., INC. removed 2,466,002 shares (-66.9%) from their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $524,888,525

To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Quiver Quantitative's institutional holdings dashboard. You can access data on hedge funds moves and 13F filings through the Quiver Quantitative API 13F endpoint.

$ROST Analyst Ratings

Wall Street analysts have issued reports on $ROST in the last several months. We have seen 1 firms issue buy ratings on the stock, and 0 firms issue sell ratings.

Here are some recent analyst ratings:

Wells Fargo issued a "Overweight" rating on 05/22/2026

To track analyst ratings and price targets for $ROST, check out Quiver Quantitative's $ROST forecast page.

$ROST Price Targets

Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $ROST recently. We have seen 10 analysts offer price targets for $ROST in the last 6 months, with a median target of $248.0.

Here are some recent targets:

Ike Boruchow from Wells Fargo set a target price of $245.0 on 06/23/2026
Adrienne Yih from Barclays set a target price of $260.0 on 05/26/2026
Joseph Civello from Truist Securities set a target price of $290.0 on 05/22/2026
Jay Sole from UBS set a target price of $232.0 on 05/22/2026
Paul Lejuez from Citigroup set a target price of $270.0 on 05/22/2026
Dana Telsey from Telsey Advisory Group set a target price of $265.0 on 05/22/2026
Matthew Boss from JP Morgan set a target price of $251.0 on 05/18/2026

This article is not financial advice. See Quiver Quantitative's disclaimers for more information. Note that there may be inaccuracies due to mistakes in ticker-mapping, and other anomalies.