[ROST] Ross Stores: Q3 2026 Earnings Preview on Traffic, Margin and Inventory

Ross Stores runs two off-price apparel and home fashion chains, Ross Dress for Less and dd's DISCOUNTS[1], and this Ross Stores Q3 2026 earnings preview starts from the company's announced report date of 2026-11-19 for the Third quarter of fiscal 2026 (13 weeks ending October 31, 2026)[2]. The latest disclosed quarter is the second quarter ended August 1, 2026: sales rose 13% to $6.265 billion and comparable store sales rose 10%[3], with traffic up about 7% and basket up about 3%[4]. Operating margin was 17.6%, of which 405 basis points came from roughly $253 million of IEEPA tariff refunds, and about $0.60 of the $2.66 in earnings per share came from those refunds[5]. On August 20, the company guided third-quarter comparable sales up 6% to 7% and EPS of $1.75 to $1.83[5], with total sales up 9% to 11% and operating margin of 11.7% to 12.0%, against 11.6% and EPS of $1.58 a year earlier[6]. The Zacks consensus compiled on November 9 calls for EPS of $1.82 and revenue of about $6.2 billion[7].

Three things matter most in this report. First, can comparable sales land in the 6% to 7% range on top of last year's 7% third-quarter comp, still driven by traffic rather than price[6]? Traffic supplied about 9 points of the 13% first-half comp[4], so this shows whether growth comes from more shoppers or simply from easy comparisons. Second, without tariff refunds, can operating margin reach the 11.7% to 12.0% guide? Excluding the refund, second-quarter margin still rose 205 basis points[5], and the third quarter is the first test of how much of that improvement stays. Third, can Ross sell through inventory that was 18% higher at the end of the second quarter without heavier markdowns[8]? Inventory is already growing faster than the 13% sales gain, and slower turns would squeeze merchandise margin and operating cash flow at the same time.

Company Background and Business Structure

Ross Stores is the largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain in the United States, and it reaches price-sensitive shoppers through two brands aimed at different income groups. As of January 31, 2026, it operated 1,904 Ross stores in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico, selling at 20% to 60% below department and specialty store regular prices to mainly middle-income households; it also ran 363 dd's DISCOUNTS stores in 22 states at 20% to 70% below moderate department and discount store prices, typically in densely populated urban or suburban neighborhoods serving lower- to moderate-income households[1]. The two brands totaled 2,267 stores, after 80 Ross and 10 dd's openings in fiscal 2025[9]; by August 1, 2026, the base had grown to 1,952 Ross stores and 376 dd's stores in 23 states[10].

All revenue comes from store retailing, and the company discloses its sales mix by merchandise category rather than by brand. In fiscal 2025, home accents and bed and bath were 26% of sales, ladies 22%, men's 15%, accessories, lingerie, fine jewelry and cosmetics 15%, shoes 13% and children's 9%[11]. The mix was largely unchanged in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, with home at 24%, ladies at 23% and men's at 16%[12], which shows that recent growth did not depend on one category expanding.

Buying is the core of the business, and Ross gets lower costs than department and specialty stores by buying late and on flexible terms. At the end of fiscal 2025, it had more than 800 merchants across buying offices in New York, Los Angeles and Boston, with separate Ross and dd's buying organizations[13]. Its buyers enter the cycle later than department, specialty and discount stores, take advantage of imbalances between retailers' demand and manufacturers' supply, and buy brand overruns, canceled orders and end-of-season close-outs as well as upfront orders placed directly with brands and factories; the company typically does not require promotional allowances, return privileges or delayed deliveries, which helps it secure deeper discounts[14]. Some goods are held as packaway, merchandise warehoused for later release to stores, usually for less than six months[15]. More than half of what Ross sells is originally made in China, with part sourced directly from foreign vendors, mainly in China, and part bought indirectly through domestic vendors[16].

Distribution and the cash cycle turn buying discounts into store cash. All merchandise is processed in large, highly automated distribution centers and shipped through regional cross-docks to stores three to six times a week, depending on location[17]. The eighth distribution center opened in Buckeye, Arizona in May 2025[18], fiscal 2026 capital spending includes building the next distribution centers, and accounts payable covered about 85% of inventory[19]. The 10-Q describes cash flow from operations and short-term trade credit as the primary sources of funds[20], so store cash receipts and supplier terms together pay for openings, distribution and shareholder returns.

Financial History and Current Position

Ross grew steadily over its last three full fiscal years, but operating margin slipped slightly in fiscal 2025. According to the 10-K, sales rose from $20.377 billion in fiscal 2023, a 53-week year, to $21.129 billion in fiscal 2024 and $22.751 billion in fiscal 2025, up 8%; comparable sales grew 5%, 3% and 5%, and operating margin was 11.3%, 12.2% and 11.9%[21]. Fiscal 2025 operating margin fell 35 basis points mainly because the new distribution center raised distribution costs by 25 basis points and tariff costs cut merchandise margin by 20 basis points, only partly offset by 20 basis points of lower domestic freight, 10 basis points of lower buying costs and 5 basis points of occupancy leverage[18]. Net earnings were $2.145 billion, up from $2.091 billion in fiscal 2024[22].

Fiscal 2025 cash flow covered expansion, shareholder returns and debt repayment at the same time. Operating cash flow was $3.027 billion, capital spending $819 million, share repurchases $1.050 billion and dividends $528 million, and Ross repaid $700 million of maturing notes, ending the year with $4.662 billion of cash and restricted cash[22]. In its annual report, the company said fiscal 2026 operating margin would be slightly higher than in fiscal 2025, reflecting higher merchandise margin and lower distribution costs, partly offset by store costs tied to its initiatives[18].

Growth accelerated sharply in the first two quarters of fiscal 2026, and second-quarter profit included a one-time tariff refund. In the first quarter, ended May 2, 2026, sales rose 21% to $6.010 billion, comparable sales rose 17% and operating margin was 13.4% against 12.2% a year earlier[23]; management said EPS grew 37% and attributed part of the growth to larger tax refunds this year[24]. In the second quarter, cost of goods sold was 66.2% of sales versus 72.4%, SG&A was 16.2% versus 16.1%, and operating margin was 17.6% versus 11.5%[3]. Operating income was $1.104 billion and net earnings $851 million, compared with $638 million and $508 million a year earlier[10], and EPS was $2.66 versus $1.56[8]. Those figures include about $253 million, or roughly $0.60 per share, of IEEPA tariff refunds, while tariff costs had reduced EPS by about $0.11 in the prior-year quarter[25]; excluding the refund, operating margin still rose 205 basis points, above the company's plan of 130 to 150 basis points[5].

First-half cash flow improved markedly, but inventory also rose quickly. Operating cash flow for the six months was $1.712 billion, up from $1.078 billion; capital spending was $460 million, repurchases $637.5 million and dividends $286 million, and Ross repaid $500 million of maturing notes[20]. On August 1, it held $4.288 billion of cash and $3.087 billion of inventory, up from $2.608 billion a year earlier, and had only $242 million of senior notes left, due in 2027[19]. The company raised its fiscal 2026 EPS guidance to $8.61 to $8.77, including about $0.60 of tariff refunds, compared with $6.61 in fiscal 2025[6].

Operating Model

Revenue comes from comparable stores and new stores, and comparable sales split into traffic and basket. Second-quarter sales rose $736 million, of which comparable stores contributed $534 million and non-comparable stores, mainly new locations, contributed $202 million; within the 10% comp, traffic contributed about 7 points and basket about 3 points[4]. Basket depends on average unit retail and units per transaction, and CEO Jim Conroy said Ross always wants to stay under mainstream retail's pricing umbrella, with only low-single-digit AUR increases in the back half[26], so revenue growth relies mainly on more customers and more frequent visits. New stores are the second growth line: Ross plans 115 openings in fiscal 2026, about 90 Ross and 25 dd's[5], its model assumes roughly 5% annual unit growth with new stores planned at 70% to 75% of mature-store sales in their first year, and this year's openings are running ahead of that plan[27]. New stores are counted in non-comparable sales and add to total revenue in the period they open.

Operating profit depends on how much fixed cost comparable sales can absorb and on the trade-off between merchandise margin and other costs. In fiscal 2025, cost of goods sold was 72.3% of sales, SG&A 15.8% and operating margin 11.9%[21]. On the second-quarter call, management confirmed that each extra point of comparable sales lifts operating margin by roughly 10 to 15 basis points, and said fuel is the biggest component of domestic freight and that Ross does not hedge it[28]. Merchandise margin moves with buying discounts, markdowns and tariffs, while distribution costs move with new distribution center ramp-up and the timing of packaway carrying costs; when results beat plan, incentive compensation lifts buying costs and SG&A in the same quarter[8].

Operating cash flow is driven mainly by net earnings and changes in inventory and payables. In the first half, higher inventory absorbed $456 million of cash and higher payables supplied $226 million[20], and the company notes that changes in packaway levels affect operating cash flow[19]. Packaway usually reaches stores within six months[15], so reserve goods bought in one quarter typically turn into sales and cash over the following one to two quarters. Uses of cash are fairly fixed: fiscal 2026 capital spending is projected at about $1.1 billion for new stores, remodels, the next distribution centers and information systems[19], and the $1.275 billion buyback plan sits under a two-year $2.55 billion authorization approved by the board in March[8].

Industry and Competitive Position

Ross competes in highly fragmented apparel and home fashion markets that span many formats. Its annual report lists competitors including online retailers, department stores, specialty stores, discount stores, warehouse stores, other off-price retailers and manufacturer-owned outlets, and names the main competitive factors as discounts on brand-name goods, an assortment that fits target customers and convenient, easy-to-shop stores[29]. Among national off-price apparel and home chains, its closest peers are TJX's TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, and Burlington, all competing for the same supply of brand close-outs and the same value-driven shoppers.

Ross's edge rests on buying discounts and a lower price position, and its recent growth has outpaced its closest peers. The company says its off-price buying lets Ross buy at lower net prices than department and specialty stores, and dd's at lower net prices than moderate department and discount stores[13]. Second-quarter growth was broad across categories and regions, with home and cosmetics strongest, the Midwest performing best and dd's also growing broadly[8]. For comparison, Zacks cited Burlington's second-quarter comparable sales gain of only 2% and its third-quarter guidance of 1% to 3%[30].

The limits of that advantage are whether the pricing umbrella holds and how little comparable data exists. On the second-quarter call, an analyst noted that several large national chains were reinvesting tariff refunds into lower prices in the back half[26]. Conroy replied that Ross always wants to sit below mainstream retail prices and would make a change if it lost that umbrella, but said the company was still safe where it was[26]. Ross does not disclose market share or brand-level revenue and profit, so beyond comparable sales growth it is hard to compare its profitability with peers line by line.

Core Debates

First-half comps rose 13% mostly on more shoppers. Can that traffic hold up against much tougher comparisons in the back half?

Comparable sales are the main profit driver for Ross, and the back-half comparison base is much higher. Comparable stores supplied $534 million of the $736 million second-quarter sales increase[4], and each extra point of comp lifts operating margin by about 10 to 15 basis points[28]. Last year's third- and fourth-quarter comps were 7% and 9%[6], against only 2% in last year's second quarter and 1% for last year's first half[3], so growth this half has to build on a far tougher base.

Current evidence shows growth has come mostly from more customers and more frequent visits. Second-quarter comps rose 10%, with traffic up about 7% and basket up about 3%, and first-half traffic rose about 9% with basket up about 4%[4]. Conroy attributed the transaction gains to brand-new customers, returning lapsed customers and existing customers shopping more often[26], and in the first quarter the company saw customer counts rise across income levels, ethnicities and age groups[24]. The company said it exited the second quarter with building momentum and set third-quarter comp guidance at 6% to 7% and fourth-quarter guidance at 4% to 5%[5].

The transmission runs from marketing, more recognizable brands and better-organized stores to new, returning and more frequent customers, then to more transactions, higher comparable and total sales, and higher operating margin as fixed costs are spread. An alternative explanation is equally plausible: management acknowledged that part of the 17% first-quarter comp came from larger tax refunds[24], and the second quarter may also have benefited from weak mainstream retail, better goods from canceled orders and trading down, all of which may be temporary. Mainstream retailers are also using tariff refunds to cut prices in the back half[26], which could narrow Ross's price advantage. If that explanation holds, traffic growth would slow noticeably against 7% and 9% comparisons, and comps would lean more on basket.

What remains unresolved is how much of this traffic reflects lasting customer gains and how much reflects one-off external factors. In the third quarter, watch whether comps land at or above 6% to 7%, whether the 10-Q traffic and basket split still favors traffic, whether total sales reach 9% to 11% growth against the roughly $6.2 billion consensus[7], and whether the company holds its 4% to 5% fourth-quarter comp guide and how it describes the holiday start. Comps below 6%, traffic growth below basket growth, or management being forced to give up margin because mainstream retailers cut prices would show that momentum has clearly weakened against the tougher base.

Without the one-off tariff refund, how much of Ross Stores' margin improvement is left?

The third quarter will be the first test of whether margin gains last without a tariff refund. About $0.60 of second-quarter EPS of $2.66 came from the one-time IEEPA tariff refund, and 405 basis points of the 17.6% operating margin came from the refund[5]. The company's third-quarter guidance calls for operating margin of 11.7% to 12.0%, only 10 to 40 basis points above last year's 11.6%, and EPS of $1.75 to $1.83[6].

Excluding the refund, the second-quarter cost structure did improve. Operating margin still rose 205 basis points, above the 130 to 150 basis-point plan[5]. Within cost of goods sold, merchandise margin rose 110 basis points; distribution costs fell 100 basis points because of favorable timing of packaway carrying costs, higher productivity and lapping last year's tariff-related processing costs; occupancy leveraged 25 basis points; domestic freight rose 10 basis points on higher fuel prices; and buying costs rose 5 basis points on incentive compensation[31]. SG&A also deleveraged 15 basis points because of higher incentives[8]. The first quarter moved the same way, with merchandise margin up 85 basis points, occupancy leveraging 60 basis points, and distribution and domestic freight down 15 and 10 basis points[23].

Several links set the margin: weak mainstream retail creates more canceled orders and close-outs, which deepen buying discounts and keep clearance low, lifting merchandise margin; sales growth spreads occupancy and distribution fixed costs; diesel prices push up the cost-of-goods ratio through domestic freight; and beating plan raises buying costs and SG&A through incentive pay. The company's third-quarter guidance assumes comp leverage and slightly higher merchandise margin, partly offset by fuel-driven freight costs[6]. An alternative view is that fiscal 2025 merchandise margin fell 20 basis points on tariffs and distribution costs rose 25 basis points on the new distribution center[18], so much of this year's gain merely recovers a low base, and the favorable packaway timing cannot last. If so, third-quarter margin would barely improve once comp leverage is stripped out.

What remains unresolved is how much of the merchandise margin gain comes from repeatable buying skill and how much from recovering last year's base. In the third quarter, watch whether operating margin lands within 11.7% to 12.0% and above last year's 11.6%, whether merchandise margin keeps rising and markdowns increase, how large the freight drag is and what management assumes for fourth-quarter fuel[28], and how EPS compares with the $1.75 to $1.83 guide and the $1.82 consensus[7]. Operating margin below 11.7%, a year-over-year decline in merchandise margin, or a wider freight drag as fuel keeps rising would show that cost pressure has overtaken comp leverage.

Ross Stores is carrying 18% more inventory than a year ago. Can it sell through without heavier markdowns?

Off-price profit comes from buying cheaply and selling quickly, so the pace of inventory sell-through ties directly to margin and cash. Inventory at the end of the second quarter was $3.087 billion, about $479 million more than the $2.608 billion a year earlier[19], and it grew faster than the quarter's 13% sales gain[3]. If turns slow, markdowns would cut merchandise margin directly and the extra inventory would reduce operating cash flow, while the company plans $1.275 billion of buybacks this year[8] and about $1.1 billion of capital spending[19].

Management argues that the extra inventory supports higher traffic and is well composed. The company said it is using its inventory to meet higher store traffic and to broaden assortments on the selling floor across the fleet, while merchandise margin improved and turns stayed fast[8]. In the Q&A, management added that clearance levels have historically been low and remain low, and that open-to-buy flexibility lets Ross seize close-out opportunities or adjust inventory if demand pulls back[27]. Packaway was 36% of total inventory, down from 38% a year earlier, which indicates that most of the increase sits in stores; payables still covered 85% of inventory, and first-half operating cash flow was about $634 million higher than a year earlier[19].

The transmission is that higher traffic and broader assortments raise store inventory and purchases, inventory and payables rise together, and the working-capital use shows up in operating cash flow; if sales fall behind, slower turns lead to markdowns, lower merchandise margin and lower cash flow, which narrows room for buybacks and capital spending. Two readings remain possible. One notes that inventory growth rose from 12% at the end of the first quarter[24] to 18% while comps fell from 17% to 10%, with third-quarter guidance lower still at 6% to 7%, so if sales slow while inventory stays high, markdown risk would surface in the third and fourth quarters. The other holds that the build reflects deliberate stocking for the holiday season and new-store fills, with 51 openings planned for the third quarter[6]; if so, third-quarter sales growth would catch up with inventory growth and clearance would stay low.

What remains unresolved is whether this inventory ultimately sells at regular prices or on markdown. In the third quarter, watch whether year-over-year inventory growth falls back to no more than sales growth, how the packaway share compares with a year earlier, whether nine-month operating cash flow stays above the prior-year level, and whether nine-month buybacks reach about $956 million, in line with the full-year plan. Inventory growth persistently above sales growth alongside more markdowns, operating cash flow below the prior year, or a reduced buyback plan would show that inventory has turned from a growth support into a burden.

Risks and Falsifiers

China sourcing and tariff policy are the first external risk to merchandise costs. More than half of the goods Ross sells are originally made in China[16], and tariff costs cut fiscal 2025 merchandise margin by 20 basis points[18]. After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in February 2026 that tariffs imposed under IEEPA were not authorized, the company filed refund claims and recognized a benefit of about $253 million in the second quarter[25]; that gain will not recur, and new tariffs under other trade tools could still raise purchase costs through vendor pricing. If no new tariff costs appear in the third quarter and beyond and merchandise margin keeps rising, this risk has not materialized.

Pricing-umbrella and competitive risk would hit traffic and merchandise margin together. Mainstream retailers are using tariff refunds to cut prices in the back half[26], and other off-price retailers compete for the same brand close-outs[29]. Ross plans only low-single-digit AUR increases in the back half; a narrower price gap would weaken comps, and price cuts to defend the gap would lower merchandise margin directly. If management confirms that prices remain clearly below mainstream retail and third-quarter traffic and merchandise margin both rise, this concern is falsified.

Tough comparisons and slowing traffic are the most direct risk to margin. Last year's third- and fourth-quarter comps were 7% and 9%, and part of first-half traffic growth may have come from tax refunds and a temporary shift of shoppers away from mainstream retail. Using management's rule of thumb of 10 to 15 basis points of margin per point of comp[28], each point of comp lost would cut operating margin by roughly 0.10 to 0.15 percentage points, and one point of second-quarter comp equated to about $53 million of comparable store sales[4]. If third-quarter comps are at least 7%, traffic still outpaces basket, and fourth-quarter guidance is maintained or raised, this risk is falsified.

Fuel and freight risk sits on an already thin margin improvement. Fuel is the largest component of domestic freight, Ross does not hedge it, and management anticipates higher fuel-driven freight costs in the back half[28]. Third-quarter margin guidance is only 10 to 40 basis points above last year, and each extra 10 basis points of freight drag would cost about $6 million of operating profit based on second-quarter sales of $6.265 billion[3]. If third-quarter freight drag is no more than 10 basis points and operating margin reaches 12.0%, this risk has not materialized.

Excess inventory and markdowns are a risk that touches both margin and cash flow. Inventory rose 18% year over year, faster than 13% sales growth, leaving about $479 million more at the end of the second quarter[19]. If back-half comps slow to the guided 4% to 7%, excess inventory would need markdowns, the 110 basis-point merchandise margin gain in the second quarter could reverse, and the extra inventory would reduce operating cash flow. If third-quarter inventory growth is no higher than sales growth and merchandise margin keeps rising, this risk is falsified.

What to Watch Next

• Traffic against tougher comparisons: third-quarter comparable sales against the 6% to 7% guide, from a base of 10% in the second quarter, 13% in the first half and 7% in last year's third quarter; below 6% would signal clearly weaker momentum.
• Traffic versus basket: the second-quarter split was about 7% traffic and 3% basket; traffic growth below basket growth would mean growth has shifted to pricing.
• Total sales and the fourth-quarter outlook: second-quarter sales were $6.265 billion, up 13%; watch for 9% to 11% third-quarter growth and whether the 4% to 5% fourth-quarter comp guide holds.
• Margin after the refund: third-quarter operating margin against the 11.7% to 12.0% guide and last year's 11.6%; below 11.7% would mean cost pressure has overtaken comp leverage.
• Merchandise margin and freight: the second quarter had a 110 basis-point merchandise margin gain and a 10 basis-point freight drag; a merchandise margin decline or a larger freight drag would falsify the margin case.
• EPS: guidance of $1.75 to $1.83, consensus of $1.82 and $1.58 a year earlier; a result below the low end would weaken the margin-improvement case.
• Inventory growth: 18% at the end of the second quarter against 13% sales growth; persistent excess with more markdowns would falsify the healthy-inventory view.
• Packaway share: 36% versus 38% a year earlier; a clear rise would point to reserve stock building up.
• Cash flow and buybacks: first-half operating cash flow of $1.712 billion and buybacks of $637.5 million; nine-month cash flow below last year or buybacks short of about $956 million would weaken the cash case.

Conclusion

Ross Stores' business rests on buying late, buying cheaply and selling fast, with prices kept below mainstream retail; comparable-store traffic drives revenue, while comp leverage and merchandise margin drive profitability. In the first half of fiscal 2026, sales rose 17% and comparable sales 13%, with traffic contributing about 9 points[4]; first-half operating cash flow was $1.712 billion, and the balance sheet held $4.288 billion of cash with only $242 million of notes due in 2027[19]. The central unresolved relationship is whether traffic can keep lifting comps against last year's 7% and 9% gains, sustaining margin as tariff refunds disappear and freight rises, while the company works through inventory that is 18% higher than a year ago.

Outside commentary on this relationship is thin. Between August 20 and November 11, the only independent analysis with a specific argument was an October 20 piece by Zacks Equity Research; the rest were mostly daily stock reports and rewrites of earnings releases. Zacks argued that Ross's 10% second-quarter comp, its second straight double-digit quarter, came mainly from more transactions, but that sustaining the momentum would become increasingly difficult against tougher prior-year comparisons, noting that the company's own guidance had already stepped down to 6% to 7% for the third quarter and 4% to 5% for the fourth, while several growth initiatives remain early[30]. That view speaks directly to the first core debate and contrasts with management's description of building momentum; it does not address margin or inventory, so it offers no outside judgment on the other two debates. These are outside interpretations, not facts or a majority view.

What would genuinely change the current understanding is a combination of operating and financial observations. If third-quarter comps reach 6% to 7% or better on last year's 7% base and remain traffic-led, operating margin lands within 11.7% to 12.0% with merchandise margin still rising, inventory growth falls back to no more than sales growth, and nine-month operating cash flow stays above last year, the case for traffic-driven, durable margins would strengthen meaningfully. Conversely, if comps fall below 6% with basket contributing more, margin comes in below 11.7%, and inventory keeps outrunning sales alongside more markdowns, the first-half surge would more likely prove to be a temporary result of tax refunds, the tariff refund and easy comparisons.

Sources

[1] ROST 10-K filed 2026-03-31 · 2026-03-31 · 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000006/

[2] Ross Stores Q3 2026 earnings release date announcement 2026-11-05 · 2026-11-05 · Ross Stores press release

[3] ROST 10-Q filed 2026-09-01 results of operations · 2026-09-01 · 10-Q · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000745732/000074573226000041/rost-20260801.htm

[4] ROST 10-Q filed 2026-09-01 traffic and basket · 2026-09-01 · 10-Q · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000745732/000074573226000041/rost-20260801.htm

[5] ROST 8-K filed 2026-08-20 Q2 2026 results · 2026-08-20 · 8-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000745732/000074573226000038/q226exhibit991.htm

[6] ROST Q2 2026 earnings call 2026-08-20 guidance · 2026-08-20 · earnings-call · https://investors.rossstores.com/

[7] Zacks consensus 2026-11-09 ROST Q3 2026 · 2026-11-09 · Zacks(汇总分析师预期) · https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/ross-stores-rost-rises-higher-220002521.html

[8] ROST Q2 2026 earnings call 2026-08-20 results and inventory · 2026-08-20 · earnings-call · https://investors.rossstores.com/

[9] ROST 10-K filed 2026-03-31 store counts · 2026-03-31 · 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000006/

[10] ROST 10-Q filed 2026-09-01 overview and store base · 2026-09-01 · 10-Q · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000745732/000074573226000041/rost-20260801.htm

[11] ROST 10-K filed 2026-03-31 sales mix · 2026-03-31 · 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000006/

[12] ROST 10-Q filed 2026-09-01 sales mix · 2026-09-01 · 10-Q · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000745732/000074573226000041/rost-20260801.htm

[13] ROST 10-K filed 2026-03-31 merchant organization · 2026-03-31 · 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000006/

[14] ROST 10-K filed 2026-03-31 purchasing and packaway · 2026-03-31 · 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000006/

[15] ROST 10-K filed 2026-03-31 inventory accounting · 2026-03-31 · 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000006/

[16] ROST 10-K filed 2026-03-31 China sourcing and tariffs · 2026-03-31 · 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000006/

[17] ROST 10-K filed 2026-03-31 distribution · 2026-03-31 · 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000006/

[18] ROST 10-K filed 2026-03-31 cost of goods sold · 2026-03-31 · 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000006/

[19] ROST 10-Q filed 2026-09-01 inventory, payables and capex · 2026-09-01 · 10-Q · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000745732/000074573226000041/rost-20260801.htm

[20] ROST 10-Q filed 2026-09-01 cash flows · 2026-09-01 · 10-Q · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000745732/000074573226000041/rost-20260801.htm

[21] ROST 10-K filed 2026-03-31 results of operations · 2026-03-31 · 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000006/

[22] ROST 10-K filed 2026-03-31 cash flows · 2026-03-31 · 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000006/

[23] ROST 10-Q filed 2026-06-02 Q1 2026 results · 2026-06-02 · 10-Q · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000032/

[24] ROST Q1 2026 earnings call 2026-05-21 · 2026-05-21 · earnings-call · https://investors.rossstores.com/

[25] ROST 10-Q filed 2026-09-01 IEEPA tariff refund · 2026-09-01 · 10-Q · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000745732/000074573226000041/rost-20260801.htm

[26] ROST Q2 2026 earnings call 2026-08-20 customers and pricing · 2026-08-20 · earnings-call · https://investors.rossstores.com/

[27] ROST Q2 2026 earnings call 2026-08-20 inventory risk and stores · 2026-08-20 · earnings-call · https://investors.rossstores.com/

[28] ROST Q2 2026 earnings call 2026-08-20 margin flow-through and freight · 2026-08-20 · earnings-call · https://investors.rossstores.com/

[29] ROST 10-K filed 2026-03-31 competition · 2026-03-31 · 10-K · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/745732/000074573226000006/

[30] Zacks Equity Research 2026-10-20 ROST comps · 2026-10-20 · Zacks Investment Research · https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/rost-sustain-double-digit-comps-123000156.html

[31] ROST 10-Q filed 2026-09-01 cost of goods sold · 2026-09-01 · 10-Q · https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000745732/000074573226000041/rost-20260801.htm