AnalystScope

ROST

Ross Stores, Inc. (ROST)

Ross Stores, Inc. is added as a high-quality large-cap coverage candidate with off-price apparel retail with value positioning and flexible inventory buying. The initial AnalystScope view weighs store growth, value-seeking traffic, and off-price inventory availability against quality off-price economics are already recognized, keeping the rating restrained until the model has more live refresh history.

Main company research view

Start here for AnalystScope's current fair value, model signal, thesis drivers, assumptions, normalized fundamentals, and private scenario sandbox. The printable report is secondary: a point-in-time published snapshot for archive or print use, not the primary research destination.

Latest note event: New
Current published rating: Hold
View printable snapshotCompare valuationMethodology

How to read note event vs rating

Note event tells you what changed in the latest published note. Published rating shows the stance after that event.

Both were published Jun 13, 2026.

Current model signal

Sell

Confidence: Medium

Implied return: -34.3 downside

Fair value $158 vs. current $240 (-34.3 downside).

Model vs published view

Current model signal differs from the latest published analyst rating.

Price vs fair value

-34.2%

Model-implied return

Stale scheduled quote

$240

Fair value

$158

Valuation method stack

Weighted fair value $158

Published method weights

DCF (Base)

$162 | 45%

NTM P/E Multiple

$156 | 35%

EV/EBITDA Cross-check

$151 | 20%

Current research conclusion

Base case stance: Sell with medium confidence as shares are currently being evaluated against an older daily scheduled quote of $240 versus $158 fair value, implying -34.3 downside. This workspace updates with the latest daily scheduled quote and reported inputs, while the printable report remains a point-in-time published snapshot.

Price basis warning

Current price-dependent output is using a stale scheduled quote. Fair value, upside / downside, and the model signal are still shown, but they should be read with caution until a fresher daily scheduled quote refresh is available.

Current model signal

Sell

Latest note event

New

Published Jun 13, 2026

Current published rating

Hold

Published Jun 13, 2026

Model vs published view

Current model signal differs from the latest published analyst rating.

Daily scheduled refresh

Alpha Vantage GLOBAL_QUOTE

Latest daily scheduled quote is past the freshness window. Daily scheduled refresh as of Jun 15, 2026, 11:48 AM UTC. Fresh through Jun 16, 2026, 11:48 AM UTC.

Filing refreshed

4 filed Jun 2, 2026 | Reporting period May 29, 2026

Filing refreshed Jun 17, 2026, 3:56 AM UTC. Fresh through Jun 17, 2026, 3:56 PM UTC.

Open filing source

Fundamentals refreshed

SEC XBRL companyfacts API

Live SEC companyfacts currently cover revenue, operating margin, free cash flow, and net cash / net debt. Reporting period end 2026-01-31.

Fundamentals refreshed 17 Jun 2026, 04:00 UTC. Fresh through 17 Jun 2026, 16:00 UTC.

Current model signal

Sell

Confidence

Medium

Stale scheduled quote

$240

Fair value

$158

Upside / Downside

-34.3 downside

Top drivers

Value positioning can capture trade-down traffic.

Flexible buying supports merchandise margin.

Top risks

Consumer softness could pressure traffic.

Inventory availability can affect assortment quality.

Sector / Industry

Consumer Discretionary

Apparel Retail

Headquarters

Dublin, CA

Market Cap

$50B

Current / Fair Value

$240 / $158

Upside / Downside

-34.3 downside

Coverage snapshot

Report updated: Jun 15, 2026

Curated public preview analysis with live price, filing metadata, and reported fundamentals overlays. Full live filing ingestion is not yet enabled.

Coverage currently spans sixty-five companies: MSFT, NVDA, AAPL, GOOGL, AMZN, META, AVGO, ORCL, AMD, NFLX, V, MA, WMT, PG, JNJ, ADBE, CSCO, TXN, COST, KO, HD, PEP, QCOM, INTU, MCD, ADP, ABT, IBM, LOW, SBUX, NKE, DIS, AMAT, LRCX, MRK, PFE, TMO, ACN, NOW, PANW, SNPS, CDNS, ADI, HON, CAT, DE, UPS, BKNG, YUM, MDLZ, FDX, CMG, TGT, LULU, GILD, AMGN, REGN, ZTS, ISRG, SYK, DHR, CL, KMB, ROST, and TJX.

Fundamental snapshot

FY2026

Normalized annual model base

Revenue

+6.6% YoY

$22.5B

Op. margin

+0.6% pts

12.4%

FCF margin

+0.4% pts

8.4%

Revenue + margin trend

Annual normalized model-base history.

Revenue

2024
2025
2026

Operating margin

2024
2025
2026

Model-base financial summary

Current annual model-base range: FY2024 | FY2025 | FY2026

Revenue (Latest FY)

FY2026 | +6.6% vs prior FY

$22.5B

Operating Margin

+60 bps vs prior FY

12.4%

FCF (Latest FY)

8.4% margin | FY2026

$1.9B

Net Cash / (Debt)

Net cash supports store growth and buybacks

$2.6B

Key ratios

EV / NTM EBITDA

Off-price retail peer set

18.0x

P / NTM EPS

Off-price retail peer set

24.0x

ROIC

Quality large-cap peer set

25.0%

Rule of 40

Business-model context

20%

Base-case assumptions

These are AnalystScope's current base-case valuation inputs. The note under each number explains why that level is considered reasonable for this company; the sensitivity line shows how much fair value moves if that judgment is wrong.

Revenue CAGR (5Y)

5.0%

+/- 1.0% => +/-$4/sh

Why this level: This is AnalystScope's base-case growth assumption, not a guarantee. It sits below the latest FY model-base revenue pace (2026.0%), so the model does not extend current strength too far into the outer years. Current company context: Value positioning can capture trade-down traffic.

Terminal Growth

2.4%

+/- 0.5% => +/-$4/sh

Why this level: This is AnalystScope's mature long-run growth assumption, not a perpetual hypergrowth claim. At 2.4%, it sits well below the 5.0% five-year revenue CAGR, so the model steps down from the explicit forecast period to a steadier long-run pace. For Ross Stores, Inc., that means a durable franchise can keep compounding after year five without assuming today's faster growth profile lasts indefinitely.

WACC

8.2%

+/- 0.5% => -$6/sh

Why this level: This is AnalystScope's base-case cost-of-capital judgment, not a precise CAPM output. It reflects the current rates backdrop, equity risk premium, and the company's balance-sheet posture. Net cash supports store growth and buybacks

Operating Margin (Year 5)

12.8%

+/- 100 bps => +/-$5/sh

Why this level: This is AnalystScope's base-case margin view, not a promise of straight-line expansion. It keeps year-five margins close to today's model-base operating margin (12.4%), which implies the current margin structure is broadly durable. Margin input uses a durable operating base and tempers one-off restructuring, mix, and cycle effects.

How to read the assumptions and sensitivities

These are base-case assumptions used to estimate fair value. They are reasonable model inputs, not reported facts.

Each sensitivity line shows the estimated fair-value-per-share change from a small move in that one input while the other inputs stay fixed.

bps means basis points. 100 bps equals 1.00 percentage point.

WACC sensitivity moves in the opposite direction because a higher discount rate lowers present value, while a lower discount rate raises it.

Scenario workbench

Private scenario sandbox

This is a private modelling layer, not the public AnalystScope base case or printable snapshot. It keeps the public base case as the anchor, applies bounded changes to the four core valuation inputs, and updates your scenario fair-value estimate immediately.

Saved scenarios currently stay local to this browser for ROST. Base-case rationale remains in the public assumptions section above. Your scenario output reprices the published valuation methods from projected operating anchors when those anchors are available, while keeping market-multiple and capital-structure assumptions anchored to the AnalystScope framework.

Editable assumptions

Adjust your scenario inputs within the displayed plausible range for this company. The workbench stays anchored to the public AnalystScope base case.

This is a bounded scenario tool, not a free-form spreadsheet. Values outside the displayed range snap back to the nearest allowed value when you leave the field.

Matches the published AnalystScope base case.

Revenue CAGR (5Y)

Public AnalystScope base case: 5.0% | +/- 1.0% => +/-$4/sh

Allowed range: 0.0% to 11.0%

Terminal Growth

Public AnalystScope base case: 2.4% | +/- 0.5% => +/-$4/sh

Allowed range: 1.0% to 3.9%

WACC

Public AnalystScope base case: 8.2% | +/- 0.5% => -$6/sh

Allowed range: 6.2% to 10.2%

Operating Margin (Year 5)

Public AnalystScope base case: 12.8% | +/- 100 bps => +/-$5/sh

Allowed range: 4.8% to 20.8%

Saved private scenarios

Save up to 5 named scenarios for ROST. These are your scenarios: they never overwrite the public AnalystScope base case and remain clearly separate from public research.

Browser-local workspace0 / 5 saved

Checking private workspace session...

Private scenario note

Keep a short thesis, main risk, or why this case differs from the published base case.

0 / 280

Notes stay local to this browser unless you sign in to the private workspace, and they never appear as published AnalystScope research.

No private scenarios saved yet. Make a change to the published base case, then save a named scenario here.

Published base case

Fair value

$158

Upside / Downside

-34.3 downside

Model signal

Sell

Published base-case output

Scenario output reprices the published DCF and multiple methods from projected year-5 revenue, margin, free cash flow, EBITDA, and EPS anchors. Market multiples and capital structure stay anchored to the published base framework.

Fair value

$158

$0/sh vs published base case

Upside / Downside

-34.3 downside

+0.0 pts vs published base case

Model signal

Sell

Unchanged versus the published base case.

Method movement inside the scenario

This breakdown shows what moved inside the published valuation framework when you edit the scenario. The published AnalystScope base case stays anchored, and any method without a clean projected anchor remains pinned to that framework.

Method rows below reflect the current edited scenario state, not just the saved scenario snapshots.

Influence tags are directional rather than exact attribution. They estimate which edited input is moving each method most by reverting one assumption at a time while the other edited inputs stay in place.

3 of 3 methods support model-native repricingModel-native bridge
MethodPublished baseEdited scenarioDeltaHow it moved / main drivers

DCF (Base)

DCF-style | 45% weight

$162$162$0/sh
Base-aligned

This method is supported by the model-native bridge and currently stays aligned with the published base case.

Edited inputs are largely offsetting each other, so this row stays close to the published base case.

NTM P/E Multiple

P/E-style | 35% weight

$156$156$0/sh
Base-aligned

This method is supported by the model-native bridge and currently stays aligned with the published base case.

Edited inputs are largely offsetting each other, so this row stays close to the published base case.

EV/EBITDA Cross-check

EV-based multiple | 20% weight

$151$151$0/sh
Base-aligned

This method is supported by the model-native bridge and currently stays aligned with the published base case.

Edited inputs are largely offsetting each other, so this row stays close to the published base case.

Weighted fair value

Published framework result | Published framework result

$158$158-$0/sh
Moved

Combines the repriced method outputs using the published AnalystScope weights.

No single edited assumption is dominating this move in a material way.

Published base case vs private scenarios

Compare the published AnalystScope base case against your saved private scenarios in one view. Saved scenarios remain local to this browser, and the table below reflects saved snapshots rather than any unsaved edits currently sitting in the editor.

Fair-value comparisons use the same workbench recalculation path as the editor above.

Published base case stays pinned as the anchor row.

ScenarioRevenue CAGR (5Y)Terminal GrowthWACCOp. Margin (Y5)Fair ValueUpside / DownsideModel SignalDelta vs BaseAction

AnalystScope base case

Published

Official AnalystScope anchor row.

5.0%2.4%8.2%12.8%

$158

-34.3 downside

Sell

Published anchor

Model-base financial statements

AnalystScope annual model-base statements in USD across FY2024 | FY2025 | FY2026.

Income statement

Line itemFY2024FY2025FY2026
Revenue$20.4B$21.1B$22.5B
Gross Profit$5.7B$6.0B$6.5B
Operating Income$2.3B$2.5B$2.8B
EBITDA$2.7B$2.9B$3.3B
Net Income$1.8B$2.0B$2.2B

Balance sheet

Line itemFY2024FY2025FY2026
Cash & Investments$4.8B$5.0B$5.3B
Total Debt$2.5B$2.6B$2.7B
Net Cash / (Debt)$2.3B$2.4B$2.6B
Total Assets$15.0B$15.8B$16.6B
Total Liabilities$9.5B$9.8B$10.1B
Shareholders' Equity$5.5B$6.0B$6.5B

Cash flow

Line itemFY2024FY2025FY2026
Operating Cash Flow$2.1B$2.3B$2.6B
Depreciation & Amortization$400.0M$400.0M$500.0M
Capital Expenditures($600.0M)($600.0M)($700.0M)
Free Cash Flow$1.5B$1.7B$1.9B

Model base vs reported fundamentals

Side-by-side view of the latest live reported fundamentals versus the current AnalystScope model base used in public valuation and thesis work.

Reported numbers show the latest company print. Model base is the comparable operating base AnalystScope uses for valuation work, which can include standardization, conservative balance-sheet treatment, working-capital cleanup, and through-cycle adjustments when current reported figures do not look durable.

Reported fundamentals source

SEC XBRL companyfacts API

Live SEC companyfacts currently cover revenue, operating margin, free cash flow, and net cash / net debt. Reporting period end 2026-01-31.

Fundamentals refreshed 17 Jun 2026, 04:00 UTC. Fresh through 17 Jun 2026, 16:00 UTC.

Model-base impact on the thesis

This initial coverage setup keeps valuation tied to durable normalized fundamentals and avoids letting a single recent print dominate the public view.

Model-base diagnostics

Latest model base FY2026 versus the current live reported snapshot where available.

Income statement

Revenue

FY2026 $22.5B vs reported TTM $22.8B (-1.1%)

Operating margin

FY2026 12.4% vs reported 11.9% (+0.5 pts)

Cash flow

Free cash flow

FY2026 $1.9B vs reported TTM $2.2B (-13.9%)

FCF margin

FY2026 8.4% vs reported 9.7% (-1.3 pts)

Balance sheet

Net cash / (debt)

FY2026 Net cash $2.6B vs reported Net cash $3.1B

MetricLive reportedStatusModel baseStatus
Revenue (TTM)$22.8BLive reported$22.5B

+6.6% YoY

Adjustment: Model revenue smooths short-term demand, timing, and segment-mix volatility rather than treating the latest period as a straight-line run rate.

Model base
Operating Margin11.9%Live reported12.4%

+60 bps YoY

Adjustment: Margin input uses a durable operating base and tempers one-off restructuring, mix, and cycle effects.

Model base
FCF (TTM)$2.2BLive reported$1.9B

8.4% margin

Adjustment: FCF input normalizes working-capital and capital-spending timing so cash conversion is not over-read from one period.

Model base
Net Cash / (Debt)$3.1BLive reported$2.6B

Net cash supports store growth and buybacks

Adjustment: Balance-sheet input uses a conservative net cash / debt posture without assuming all cash is excess or fully distributable.

Model base

Reported vs durable model base

How to read this

Reported = the latest company-reported figure. Model base = AnalystScope's comparable operating base used for valuation and thesis work. It may include standardization, conservative balance-sheet treatment, working-capital cleanup, and through-cycle adjustments when current reported numbers do not look durable.

This is an analyst model base, not a claim of perfect adjusted truth. Larger gaps can reflect deliberate cyclical or base-case adjustments, not just light accounting cleanup.

Why the model base differs

This initial coverage setup keeps valuation tied to durable normalized fundamentals and avoids letting a single recent print dominate the public view.

Rows are sorted by largest comparable adjustment first.

MetricModel baseLive reportedVariance vs reportedAdjustment sizeWhy lower / higher?

FCF (TTM)

$1.9B

FY2026 model base

$2.2B

Live reported TTM

-$300.0M / -14%Moderate adjustmentModel base is lower than live reported because cash generation is being smoothed for timing effects rather than taken at face value. It normalizes working-capital and capital-spending timing so cash conversion is not over-read from one period.

Net Cash / (Debt)

$2.6B

FY2026 model base

$3.1B

Live reported balance sheet

-$500.0M / -2% of revenueClose to reportedModel base is more conservative than the live reported balance-sheet figure. It balance-sheet input uses a conservative net cash / debt posture without assuming all cash is excess or fully distributable.

Revenue (TTM)

$22.5B

FY2026 model base

$22.8B

Live reported TTM

-$300.0M / -1%Close to reportedModel base is lower than live reported because the thesis does not carry the current revenue run-rate straight into the durable operating base. It smooths short-term demand, timing, and segment-mix volatility rather than treating the latest period as a straight-line run rate.

Operating Margin

12.4%

FY2026 model base

11.9%

Live reported margin

+0.5 ptsClose to reportedModel base is higher than live reported because the model does not assume the latest reported margin pressure is the durable earnings base. It uses a durable operating base and tempers one-off restructuring, mix, and cycle effects.

Financial diagnostics

Compact model-base diagnostics for analyst triage, highlighting where the durable valuation base is diverging most clearly from the latest reported picture.

Adjustment focus

Moderate adjustment

Cash flow | FCF (TTM) | -$300.0M / -14%

Revenue momentum

Improving

+6.6% latest 1Y growth

vs +3.4% prior 1Y

Operating margin trend

Stable

12.4% latest margin

+60 bps vs prior FY

FCF margin trend

Stable

8.4% latest FCF margin

+39 bps vs prior FY

Balance-sheet posture

Stable

Net cash 11.6% of revenue

vs Net cash 11.4% of revenue prior FY

Thesis scorecard

Qualitative scorecard of the main thesis dimensions behind the current investment view.

Growth

Moderate

store growth, value-seeking traffic, and off-price inventory availability

Profitability

Strong

disciplined buying and store productivity support margins

Balance sheet

Moderate

net cash keeps financial risk low

Valuation

Moderate

quality off-price economics are already recognized

Execution / Resilience

Moderate

traffic, inventory availability, and wage pressure drive near-term risk

Key drivers

Value positioning can capture trade-down traffic.

Flexible buying supports merchandise margin.

Net cash supports expansion and returns.

Key risks

Consumer softness could pressure traffic.

Inventory availability can affect assortment quality.

Wage and freight costs can pressure margins.

What would change our view

A clearer evidence base around store growth, value-seeking traffic, and off-price inventory availability would improve confidence.

A deterioration in disciplined buying and store productivity support margins would reduce support for the current fair value.

A wider gap between price and normalized cash-flow support would make the rating harder to defend.

Near-term catalysts

Next quarterly update and management commentary on demand quality.

Reported margin, cash-flow conversion, and balance-sheet movement versus the normalized model base.

Daily scheduled quote refreshes that tighten the current price-versus-fair-value read.

What we are watching

Comparable sales and traffic.

Merchandise margin and inventory quality.

Store growth and cash returns.

Coverage metadata

How to read note event vs rating

Note event tells you what changed in the latest published note. Published rating shows the stance after that event.

Both were published Jun 13, 2026.

Report updated

Jun 13, 2026

Coverage status

Active coverage

Latest note event

New

Jun 13, 2026

Current published rating

Hold

Jun 13, 2026

Analyst note

New coverage entry focused on store growth, value-seeking traffic, and off-price inventory availability and quality off-price economics are already recognized.

Model vs published view

Current model signal differs from the latest published analyst rating.

Coverage timeline

Timeline events show published note events and the rating that followed each event. The current model signal is shown separately above.

Jun 13, 2026

NewHold

Started coverage with a Hold view on off-price quality versus fair valuation.

Bull / Base / Bear scenarios

Bull case

$178

Normalized support: Growth, margin, and cash-flow trends are mixed versus the upside case.

Base case

$158

Normalized support: Current margin, cash-generation, and balance-sheet profile are mixed.

Bear case

$120

Downside protection: Cash generation and balance-sheet support are mixed in the bear case.

Why this rating

The stock is currently being evaluated against $240 versus a base-case fair value of $158, implying -34.3 downside. That supports a Sell rating with Medium confidence under the current model.

Stale scheduled quote

$240

Fair value

$158

Upside / Downside

-34.3 downside

Model signal / Confidence

Sell / Medium

Confidence framing

Method agreement / dispersion

Valuation methods are tightly grouped, with implied values ranging from $151 to $162.

Margin strength

Operating margin is 12.4%, with +60 bps vs prior FY.

Balance sheet position

Balance sheet positioning remains net cash positive at $2.6B, with net cash supports store growth and buybacks.

Valuation methods

MethodImplied ValueWeight
DCF (Base)$16245%
NTM P/E Multiple$15635%
EV/EBITDA Cross-check$15120%

Buy / Hold / Sell output

Current model recommendation

Sell

Price: $240

Fair value: $158

Implied upside / downside: -34.3 downside

Current published rating: Hold on Jun 13, 2026

Model vs published view

Current model signal differs from the latest published analyst rating.

The displayed rating is anchored to the base-case fair value. Buy is assigned at 8% or greater implied upside, Hold between -10% and +8%, and Sell at -10% or worse, with borderline calls cross-checked against normalized operating, cash-generation, and balance-sheet support. Confidence reflects valuation dispersion, operating margin profile, and balance-sheet strength.

What changed section

2026-06-13

Added to AnalystScope coverage

Impact: Started coverage with a Hold view on off-price quality versus fair valuation.

2026-06-13

Initialized normalized annual model base

Impact: Creates a useful ROST versus TJX future comparison.