How Is Ross Stores’ Stock Performance Compared to Other Retail Stocks

Ross Stores, Inc. (ROST) is a leading off-price retailer with more than 2,000 stores and a market capitalization of about $73.7 billion. Based in Dublin, California, the company offers customers discounted prices on apparel, footwear, accessories, home goods, and other merchandise, while supporting local communities through employment, charitable initiatives, and sustainability efforts.

Companies valued between $10 billion and $200 billion are generally classified as “large-cap stocks,” and Ross Stores comfortably fits this category. Its market capitalization reflects its substantial size, influence, and established position within the apparel retail industry. Ross Stores’ competitive advantage lies in its ability to combine brand-name merchandise with deep discounts, making value its core appeal. Strong merchandising, improved stores, effective marketing, and opportunistic sourcing have supported customer traffic and broad-based sales growth, while disciplined execution has contributed to strong profitability and returns.

Despite its notable strengths, ROST is currently 10.2% below its 52-week high of $257, reached on August 3, 2026. Over the past three months, ROST shares have plunged 1%, underperforming the State Street SPDR S&P Retail ETF (XRT), which has gained 4.9% over the same period.

Shares of ROST have climbed 28.1% year-to-date and 51% over the past 52 weeks, significantly outperforming the XRT, which has advanced 2.7% year-to-date and marginally over the past 52 weeks.

ROST has traded above its 200-day moving average over the past year, indicating a sustained long-term uptrend. However, ROST shares have dipped below its 50-day moving average in late August. 

ROST’s strong performance may be supported by sustained same-store sales growth and improving returns on capital, which signal healthy demand and management’s ability to deploy capital toward profitable growth. Its market-beating performance may also reflect expanding margins, suggesting improving profitability and operational efficiency.

On July 20, shares of Ross Stores moved up marginally as the company opened 47 new stores across 15 states and territories, putting it on track to open approximately 110 locations in 2026. Strong new-store performance and growing demand for off-price retail support continued expansion, potentially driving revenue growth and strengthening the company’s market presence.

In the competitive apparel retail industry, top rival The TJX Companies, Inc. (TJX) has significantly underperformed ROST, declining 14% year-to-date and 6.3% over the past year.

Wall Street analysts are somewhat bullish on ROST’s prospects. The stock has a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating from the 20 analysts covering it, and the mean price target of $274.94 implies a 19.2% premium to its current price.

On the date of publication, Kritika Sarmah did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.