Risk Intelligence
Core Model
B−
73 / 100
Fundamentally Qualified
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Above average on this measure.
Suggestions
ROST · NASDAQ
ROSS STORES INC
Private betaSector unavailable · Industry unavailable
$230.74
+2.33%
Close on Sep 11, 2026
Defensively Qualified
Updated 6/30/2026
Long-term research evidence only. No price targets, no trading signals, no recommendations.
Investment Report Card
ROSS STORES INC
Sector unavailable · Data confidence good
68 / 100
Rank #114 of 1,152 qualified companies
Top 17% · Watch
Long-Term Potential
Research Model
C+
67 / 100
Ordinary Compounder
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Fundamental Momentum
Research Model
B−
74 / 100
Accelerating
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Above average on this measure.
Ownership Intelligence
Supplemental Intelligence
D
47 / 100
Positive disclosed activity
What are important owners actually doing?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Valuation Intelligence
Research Model
D
43 / 100
Elevated
Is today's price reasonable?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure — and valuation is researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Capital Returns Intelligence
Research Model
B−
73 / 100
Strong Capital Returns
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Above average on this measure — and capital returns are researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Why it stands out
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
What holds it back
- Elevated valuation: the current market price reflects a premium to this company's historical valuation and comparable companies (Valuation Intelligence 43 out of 100, Elevated).
Long-term view
ROSS STORES INC scores 67 on Long-Term Potential (C+), described by the research model as ordinary compounder. This describes business characteristics only — it is not a forecast of future returns.
Ownership view
Disclosed ownership evidence reads 47 (D): Positive disclosed activity. 3 tracked managers disclosed a position in the latest reporting period. Ownership filings are historical disclosures, not signals.
Valuation view
ROSS STORES INC reads 43 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
Capital returns view
ROSS STORES INC reads 73 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 13.2% a year and a share count falling about 2.1% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What changed
No meaningful recorded changes in the stored history.
Risk Intelligence is a core model, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence are research models, and Ownership Intelligence is supplemental descriptive evidence. Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence each contribute 0% to the Suggested Investment Score. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Compare ROST with other companiesAppears in
Rule-based membership
Membership means the company satisfied a published rule on the latest research build. It is not a recommendation.
About a minute to read
The 60-Second Investment Brief
Written from stored research readings only. No hype. No trading signals. Just better evidence.
Why it's interesting
ROSS STORES INC (ROST) scores 68 out of 100 and ranks #114 of 1,152 qualified companies today. That places it in the top 17% of ranked companies. The stored tier for that score is watch.
Business strength
Risk Intelligence reads 73 out of 100 (B−), recorded as fundamentally qualified. Above average on this measure.
Long-term opportunity
Long-Term Potential reads 67 out of 100 (C+), recorded as ordinary compounder. Around the middle of the covered universe.
What's improving or weakening
Fundamental Momentum reads 74 out of 100 (B−), recorded as accelerating. Above average on this measure.
What important owners are doing
Ownership Intelligence reads 47 out of 100 (D), recorded as positive disclosed activity. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What kind of price you'd be paying
Valuation is currently the main point of caution: Valuation Intelligence reads 43 out of 100 (D), recorded as Elevated. ROSS STORES INC reads 43 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
How the company rewards shareholders
Capital Returns Intelligence reads 73 out of 100 (B−), recorded as Strong Capital Returns. ROSS STORES INC reads 73 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 13.2% a year and a share count falling about 2.1% a year. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What could go wrong
Elevated valuation: the current market price reflects a premium to this company's historical valuation and comparable companies (Valuation Intelligence 43 out of 100, Elevated). Data confidence for this company is good.
Bottom line
No individual layer reaches the strongest band today. Ownership Intelligence remains the main area to watch. Separately from the score, valuation reads elevated at today's price.
Composite discovery model
Pro Investor Score
Pro Investor Score™
68 / 100
Watch
A 0–100 composite discovery score combining Risk Intelligence, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, and Ownership Intelligence. It helps rank qualified companies for further research and does not predict future returns.
- Rank
- #114 of 694
- Percentile
- Top 25%
- Ranking updated
- September 12, 2026
53Rank weakened by 53 positions. Rank weakened by 53 positions.
- Risk Intelligence
- 73
- Long-Term Potential
- 67
- Fundamental Momentum
- 74
- Ownership Intelligence
- 47
30% contribution
30% contribution
20% contribution
20% contribution
Ownership Intelligence
47 / 100 · Mixed · 20% of the Pro Investor Score
SUPPLEMENTAL / DESCRIPTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Coverage: Good
- Elite Investor Activity
- 33 · Weak
- Institutional Activity
- 83 · Strong
- Insider Activity
- Insufficient Data
- Strategic Ownership
- Insufficient Data
50% of Ownership Intelligence · 10% of the total score
Tracked professional-manager activity is weak.
20% of Ownership Intelligence · 4% of the total score
Broad institutional evidence from resolved filings is strong.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No discretionary insider transactions are stored for this company, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No qualifying major-holder filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
Ownership Intelligence summarizes publicly disclosed activity among professional investment managers, broader institutions, company insiders, and significant strategic owners. It adds context to investment research but is not a validated predictor of future performance. Ownership information is publicly reported with a delay; the latest applicable reporting period is 2026-06-30, publicly disclosed 9/11/2026. Congressional activity is unavailable pending legal review and contributes nothing to this reading.
Why it ranks here
Strong risk profile
Risk Intelligence ranks in the top 22% of qualified companies, with lower_risk price risk.
Exceptional long-term potential
Stored profitability, capital efficiency and reinvestment readings rank near the top of the qualified universe.
Improving fundamentals
Recent reported business trends rank among the strongest in the qualified universe.
What holds it back
Ownership evidence is not uniformly supportive
Disclosed elite investor activity evidence is weak or neutral. Ownership evidence is supplemental and never automatically positive.
Ownership evidence disagrees
Different owner groups point in different directions, so the combined reading is best read as mixed rather than uniformly favourable.
COMPOSITE DISCOVERY MODEL — RESEARCH STAGE · Data coverage Excellent. Rankings are recalculated daily using the latest available information. Individual components may update at different frequencies based on when new financial and ownership data becomes available.
Researched separately
Valuation Intelligence 43 · Elevated
RESEARCH MODEL
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
Researched separately
Capital Returns Intelligence 73 · Strong Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
Score explanation
Why this company scores the way it does
Four research areas carry fixed weights. Each area is compared against every other eligible company, then weighted. The four contributions below add to 67.8 of the stored score (67.8).
Risk Intelligence
30% of the score · contributes 23.6 points
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Stands at the 79 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 73 · 35% of this company’s total score
How financially sturdy the company has been when conditions turned against it.
How this area is measured
Risk Intelligence reads stored balance-sheet strength, historical downside behaviour and the company's price-risk grouping. A stronger reading describes past resilience; it does not protect against future losses.
Full methodologyLong-Term Potential
30% of the score · contributes 24.5 points
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Stands at the 82 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 67 · 36% of this company’s total score
Whether the business has the durable characteristics long-term owners look for.
How this area is measured
Long-Term Potential reads durability characteristics such as profitability consistency, cash generation and reinvestment capability over multiple reported periods.
Full methodologyFundamental Momentum
20% of the score · contributes 17.9 points
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Stands at the 90 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 74 · 26% of this company’s total score
Whether the reported business results have been getting stronger or weaker.
How this area is measured
Fundamental Momentum compares recent reported fundamentals with the company's own earlier periods, so improvement or deterioration is measured against its history rather than against a forecast.
Full methodologyOwnership Intelligence
20% of the score · contributes 1.8 points
What are important owners actually doing?
Stands at the 9 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 47 · 3% of this company’s total score
What large reporting owners have actually been doing with their positions.
How this area is measured
Ownership Intelligence reads public ownership filings: how many tracked reporting owners hold the company, and whether they were adding, holding, reducing or exiting in the latest disclosed period.
Full methodology
What is helping the score
- Long-Term Potential — 82 percentile, adding 24.5 points.
- Risk Intelligence — 79 percentile, adding 23.6 points.
- Fundamental Momentum — 90 percentile, adding 17.9 points.
What deserves attention
- Ownership Intelligence — 9 percentile, adding only 1.8 of a possible 20 points.
Outside the score
Additional research — not currently included in the primary Suggested Investment Score.
- Valuation Intelligence — ROSS STORES INC reads 43 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
- Capital Returns Intelligence — ROSS STORES INC reads 73 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 13.2% a year and a share count falling about 2.1% a year.
Pro Investor Intelligence™
Reported by insiders, large shareholders and professional funds. Shown beside our research, never blended into it.
Loading professional-investor activity…
Stored snapshots only
What changed
Research-score history available since September 2026.
Stored research history does not yet cover a full 30 days comparison for this company.
A change is reported as meaningful at 8 score points, 5 rank places, or any change of research classification. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.
Learn the metrics on this page
Plain-English definitions, with the formula and the limitations of each measure.
Fifth research lens · outside the score
Valuation Intelligence
Valuation Intelligence
Is today's price reasonable?
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
43/ 100
Elevated
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Compared with its history
24
Expensive
Is this company expensive or inexpensive compared with its own history?
Compared with peers
15
Expensive
How expensive is this stock compared with similar companies?
Earnings & cash flow
52
Reasonable
How much financial output does an investor receive relative to the price paid?
Growth-adjusted
97
Very Attractive
Does the company's growth help justify the valuation investors are paying?
ROSS STORES INC reads 43 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended August 1, 2026
Valuation history
Stored readings only. The dashed line is this company's own median for the selected measure.
Only one stored valuation reading exists so far, so there is nothing to chart yet. Valuation history builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Current P/E 27.7x · own median 24.2x · peer median 14.2x
Valuation is inherently uncertain. A stock that appears inexpensive can continue falling, and a stock that appears expensive can continue rising. Valuation Intelligence provides context about the price investors are paying — it does not predict short-term market movements, and it never produces a fair value, a price target or a buy or sell range. Model VALUATION_INTELLIGENCE_V1.
Sixth research lens · outside the score
Capital Returns Intelligence
Capital Returns Intelligence
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
73/ 100
Strong Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Dividend Quality
86
Exceptional Capital Returns
Dividend reliability
Buyback Effectiveness
65
Favorable Capital Returns
Do buybacks actually reduce shares?
Dilution Control
71
Strong Capital Returns
Is your ownership share protected?
Capital Return Sustainability
76
Strong Capital Returns
Can the cash flow support it?
Shareholder Yield
58
Favorable Capital Returns
Cash returned versus company value
ROSS STORES INC reads 73 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Strong Capital Returns), reflecting a dividend that has grown about 13.2% a year and a share count falling about 2.1% a year.
How returned cash was used
Dividends $548.64M · net repurchases $1.29B · total returned $1.84B · 66% of free cash flow
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended August 1, 2026
Capital returns history
Stored readings only. History builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Only one stored reading exists for this measure so far, so there is nothing to chart yet.
Why higher yield isn't always better
A very high dividend yield may reflect a falling share price or an unsustainable payout. Capital Returns Intelligence emphasizes consistency and sustainability rather than simply rewarding the highest yield.
Why buybacks can be misleading
Announced or gross buyback spending does not always mean shareholders are gaining ownership. Companies can simultaneously issue shares through employee compensation or acquisitions. Suggested Investments therefore considers actual share-count changes alongside repurchase spending.
What these terms mean
- Dividend Yield
- The annual dividend relative to the current share price.
- Payout Ratio
- The share of company earnings used to pay dividends.
- Free Cash Flow Payout
- How much of the company's available cash is being used for dividends.
- Share Repurchases
- When a company buys back its own stock.
- Dilution
- When the number of shares increases, reducing each existing share's percentage ownership of the company.
- Shareholder Yield
- A combined view of dividends and net share repurchases relative to the company's market value.
Capital Returns Intelligence describes how a company returns capital to shareholders. It is not a measure of stock-price performance, it does not predict future returns, and a strong reading is never a recommendation to buy. Dividends and repurchases can be reduced or stopped at any time. Model CAPITAL_RETURNS_INTELLIGENCE_V1, contributing 0% to the Pro Investor Score.
Stored daily snapshots only
Ranking history
| Today | #114 | Score 68 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| 90 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| First suggested | September 12, 2026 | |
| Highest rank | #114 | |
In the company’s own words
What this company does
Ross Stores, Inc. and its subsidiaries ("we", "our", or the "Company") operate two brands of off-price retail apparel and home fashion stores—Ross Dress for Less ("Ross") and dd’s DISCOUNTS .
Ross is the largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain in the United States, with 1,904 locations in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico as of January 31, 2026. Ross offers first-quality, in-season, brand name and designer apparel, accessories, footwear, and home fashions for the entire family at savings of 20% to 60% off department and specialty store regular prices every day. Ross’ target customers are primarily from middle income households.
We also operate 363 dd’s DISCOUNTS stores in 22 states as of January 31, 2026. dd’s DISCOUNTS features more moderately-priced first-quality, in-season apparel, accessories, footwear, and home fashions for the entire family at savings of 20% to 70% off moderate department and discount store regular prices every day. The typical dd’s DISCOUNTS store is located in an established shopping center in a densely populated urban or suburban neighborhood, and its target customers typically come from households with lower to more moderate incomes.
Both our Ross and dd’s DISCOUNTS brands target value-driven customers. The decisions we make, from merchandising, purchasing, and pricing, to the locations of our stores, are based on these customer profiles. We believe that both brands derive a competitive advantage by offering a wide assortment of product within each of our merchandise categories in organized and easy-to-shop in-store environments.
Quoted from the business section of this company’s 10-K filed March 31, 2026. Read the filing
Four distinct intelligence areas
The IA view
Risk Intelligence
Production core
73
Fundamentally Qualified
+8.2 vs Jun 30, 2026
Business Quality qualification score from the locked IA Defensive Research Core. Price Risk stays a separate category and is never blended in.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Long-Term Potential
Research model
67
Elite Compounder
+12.1 vs Jun 30, 2026
Durable business economics and reinvestment characteristics. Independent external validation is pending.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Fundamental Momentum
Research model
74
Accelerating
+6.8 vs Jun 30, 2026
Direction and breadth of change in underlying business fundamentals. Not a price-momentum signal.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Elite Investor Activity
Supplemental
33
Lower range
0 vs Jun 30, 2026
Only 3 tracked managers disclosed a position — treat as limited coverage.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Company intelligence
ROST score history
Each area is measured and reported separately. No combined score exists.
ROST intelligence history from 2023-09-30 to 2026-09-11. Risk Intelligence 73.4 on 2026-09-11, up 8.2 from 65.2 on 2026-06-30. Long-Term Potential 66.7 on 2026-09-11, up 12.1 from 54.6 on 2026-06-30. Fundamental Momentum 74.4 on 2026-09-11, up 6.8 from 67.6 on 2026-06-30. Elite Investor Activity 33.3 on 2026-09-11, unchanged 0 from 33.3 on 2026-06-30. Each area is reported separately and is never combined into a single score.
Risk Intelligence 73.4 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+8.2 vs prior period) · Production core
Long-Term Potential 66.7 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+12.1 vs prior period) · Research model
Fundamental Momentum 74.4 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+6.8 vs prior period) · Research model
Elite Investor Activity 33.3 as of Sep 11, 2026 (0 vs prior period) · Supplemental
Share price
ROST price history
Closing prices adjusted for splits and dividends. Past prices do not indicate future results.
- 6M change
- +10.6%
- 1Y change
- +54.0%
- 3Y change
- +103.4%
- 5Y change
- +114.5%
- Max change
- +110.9%
Last stored close $230.74 · +54.0% over the selected range · 52 sessions shown
Balanced evidence
Why IA likes it
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
Risk and uncertainty
What IA doesn’t like
- No specific negative evidence is available. This is not evidence of low risk.
What would change our view
- Business Quality falling below the frozen qualification threshold.
- Price Risk moving to a less favorable category.
- A sustained reversal in the Fundamental Momentum research evidence.
- New material public ownership disclosures.
Public filings · descriptive only
Elite Investor Activity
Reporting holders
1
New holders
1
Increasing
0
Reducing
0
Exiting
0
Coverage
Excellent
Positive disclosed activity · Report period 2016-12-31 · Public 12/22/2023
| Manager | Change | Portfolio weight | Rank | Disclosed |
|---|
Insufficient high-confidence manager coverage.
Objective stored changes
What changed
- Risk Intelligence
IA Defensive weakened
Business Quality qualification score moved from 65.2 to 63.1.
- Risk Intelligence
Price Risk category changed
Price Risk moved from Not Available to Lower risk.
- Fundamental Momentum
Fundamental Momentum improved
Fundamental Momentum research score moved from 67.6 to 79.3.
- Risk Intelligence
IA Defensive improved
Business Quality qualification score moved from 60.9 to 65.2.
- Long-Term Potential
IA Compounder strengthened
IA Compounder research score moved from 34.1 to 54.6.
- Fundamental Momentum
Fundamental Momentum improved
Fundamental Momentum research score moved from 42.8 to 67.6.
- Elite Investor Activity
Tracked managers initiated positions
2 tracked managers first disclosed a position for the reporting period ending 2024-09-30.
Ownership timeline
No high-confidence public ownership events are available.
General research only. Not personalized advice. Public filings may be delayed, amended, incomplete, or reflect positions that have changed since the reporting date.