Off‑price rival signals mixed
Investor coverage shows Ross Stores shares have climbed recently and some asset managers increased positions, yet short interest also rose markedly in March. (stockstory.org) A filing note and short‑interest report underline that the format is drawing both bullish and bearish investor bets. (marketbeat.com) (thecerbatgem.com)
Ross Stores is pulling in both buyers and short sellers as its stock pushes near record highs in April. (marketbeat.com) Robeco Institutional Asset Management said in a filing published April 15 that it raised its Ross Stores stake by 374.4% in the fourth quarter, ending the period with 108,944 shares worth about $19.6 million. The fund bought 85,980 shares during the quarter. (marketbeat.com) Bearish bets rose too. A report published April 15 said short interest in Ross Stores climbed 39.3% from March 15 to March 31, reaching 8.66 million shares from 6.22 million, or about 2.7 days of average trading volume. (thecerbatgem.com) Short interest is a count of shares borrowed and sold by investors betting the price will fall. A higher figure does not prove a decline is coming, but it shows more traders were willing to make that wager at the end of March. (nasdaq.com) Ross has given investors fresh reasons to stay bullish. On March 3, the company reported fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 sales of $6.64 billion, up 12%, and earnings per share of $2.00, above analyst estimates tracked by MarketBeat. (nasdaq.com) (marketbeat.com) The same March 3 release included a new two-year share repurchase authorization and a 10% increase in the quarterly cash dividend. Ross also issued first-quarter and full-year fiscal 2026 guidance. (nasdaq.com) Ross operates an off-price model, which means it buys branded goods and sells them below traditional department-store prices. The company says Ross stores offer savings of 20% to 60%, and its dd’s DISCOUNTS chain targets savings of 20% to 70%. (investors.rossstores.com) (stocklight.com) That model has scale. Ross said it now operates 1,917 Ross Dress for Less locations, and its 2025 annual report said the company ended fiscal 2025 with 2,267 total stores, including 363 dd’s DISCOUNTS locations. (investors.rossstores.com) (stocktitan.net) The stock has reflected that momentum. Ross hit a 52-week high of $222.31 on April 8, after Barclays raised its price target to $221 from $205 on March 2, according to MarketBeat’s roundup. (marketbeat.com) For now, the split is visible in the tape: one set of investors is adding to Ross after stronger earnings and shareholder payouts, while another increased bets against the stock before April trading began. (marketbeat.com) (thecerbatgem.com)
