Ross Stores stock reports 13 percent sales growth in Q2
Published on 10/04/2026 at 16:03 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Ross Stores (ISIN US7782961038) reported fiscal second-quarter sales of USD 6.26 billion, up 13 percent year over year. According to StockTitan, the 13-week quarter ended August 1, 2026, also brought a 10 percent increase in comparable-store sales and higher full-year earnings guidance.
Q2 earnings set a high bar
Ross Stores posted diluted EPS of USD 2.66 in fiscal Q2 2026, compared with USD 1.56 in the year-earlier quarter. The result included USD 0.60 per share from IEEPA tariff refunds, making the quarter unusually strong but also creating a difficult comparison for future periods.
Operating income reached USD 1.10 billion in the quarter, while the operating margin was 18 percent. StockTitan reported that the refund contributed about USD 253 million to operating income, so the underlying margin improvement deserves separate attention from the one-time benefit.
Guidance points to slower growth
Management raised fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to USD 8.61-8.77, including the tariff-refund benefit. The same update put third-quarter comparable-sales growth at 6-7 percent and fourth-quarter comparable-sales growth at 4-5 percent, below the 10 percent increase delivered in fiscal Q2.
The store expansion plan also moved higher to 115 new locations in fiscal 2026. For investors, the key test is whether customer traffic and merchandise margins can preserve growth after the refund effect fades and year-over-year comparisons become tougher.
Analysts see further upside
According to MarketBeat on September 18, 2026, 15 of 21 covering brokerages rated Ross Stores Buy and six rated it Hold, producing a Moderate Buy consensus. The average 12-month target was USD 263.76, which is 15.4 percent above the stock price of USD 228.54.
MarketBeat also reported that Citigroup raised its Ross Stores target from USD 270 to USD 290 and kept a Buy rating on August 21, 2026. That target is 26.9 percent above the October 2 price, while the consensus signals confidence in the business beyond the tariff refund.
Ross Stores stock fell on October 2
Ross Stores stock closed at USD 228.54 on NASDAQ on October 2, 2026, down 2.38 percent from the prior close of USD 234.10. The stock remained within its 52-week range of USD 147.49 to USD 257.00, with a market capitalization of USD 73.3 billion and trading volume of 2,300,201 shares.
Ross Stores stock facts
- Company: Ross Stores, Inc.
- ISIN: US7782961038
- Ticker: ROST
- Trading venue: NASDAQ
- Price (as of October 2, 2026, 4:00 p.m. EDT): USD 228.54, closing price
- Market capitalization: USD 73.3 billion (as of October 2, 2026)
- 52-week range: USD 147.49-257.00 (as of October 2, 2026)
- Sector / Industry: Consumer Cyclical / Apparel Retail
