Ross Stores, Inc. Q2 FY26 Earnings Analysis

- Fiscal 2026 comparable store sales growth forecasted at 6% to 7%, building on a 5% gain in 2025. - Full-year earnings per share projected between $7.50 to $7.74, a 13% to 17% increase over prior year. - Long-term modeling targets about 5% unit growth annually. - New store expansion includes 110 openings planned, maintaining ~5% unit growth, with a focus on Northeast expansion. - Customer count showing double-digit growth on a comp store basis, with increasing transactions driving comps. - Early marketing and merchandising initiatives expected to further increase customer acquisition and comp store sales. - Management remains confident in continuing solid comps and growth momentum beyond current year.

- Fiscal 2026 EPS guidance raised to $7.50 - $7.74, up 13% to 17% from $6.61 in prior year. - Comparable store sales projected to grow 6%-7% for full-year 2026. - Strong first quarter results with 37% EPS growth and 21% sales growth. - Long-term EPS growth target remains double-digit fueled by: - 5% unit growth, - 60%-70% productivity, - 3%-4% comp sales growth, - 2%-3% from share repurchases. - Operating margin expected to improve from 12.2% (Q1 last year) to 13.4% in Q1 2026. - Operating margin for Q2 2026 projected at 12.8%-13.0% vs. 11.5% prior year. - Potential for outsized EBIT growth if comp sales exceed 3%-4%. - Capital expenditures anticipated around $1.1 billion for 2026, up from $819 million last year.

- Total estimated capital expenditure (CapEx) for the year is about $1.1 billion, up from $819 million last year (Page 11). - CapEx is not heavily skewed by quarter; spending is fairly consistent throughout the year (Page 11). - Focus on store refresh initiatives paused temporarily after updating half of stores last year to measure sales impact and plan next steps (Page 12). - Exploration of potential new store prototypes and possible changes in visual merchandising and store labor models underway (Pages 11-12). - New store growth targets about 5% unit growth long-term, with successful expansion into Northeast markets like New York (Pages 7, 10). - Real estate department actively writing leases for Northeast expansion in 2027 and beyond (Page 10). - Capital investments also include marketing, merchandising, and operational improvements to support growth and transformation (Pages 6-8).

- There is no mention of any current or planned new fundraising through debt or equity in the provided transcript. - The company is focusing on share repurchase, having repurchased 1.5 million shares for $319 million recently and remains on track to buy back $1.275 billion in stock during 2026. - The company discussed capital expenditures of about $1.1 billion for 2026, up from $819 million last year, but no indications of raising funds via debt or equity to support that were noted. - Overall, the discussion centers on operational growth, marketing, store expansion, and share repurchase, with no explicit plans for new fundraising activities through debt or equity.

- The company is on track to repurchase a total of $1.275 billion in stock during 2026, unchanged from prior plans. - They have invested $319 million so far in share repurchases under a new 2-year, $2.55 billion authorization approved in March 2026. - New store growth continues, with 110 openings expected this year and a 5% unit growth target over the longer term. - For the second quarter, 47 new stores are planned: 35 Ross stores and 12 dd’s DISCOUNTS. - The Northeast expansion is progressing with 12 stores in New York by end of 2025 and 2 more openings in Q1 2026, exceeding underwriting expectations. - Capital expenditures are planned at about $1.1 billion for 2026, up from $819 million last year. - The company is actively pursuing new vendors and opportunistic goods, indicating an expanding merchandise pipeline.