Ross Stores' first quarter 2026 results beat expectations, driven by a 17% surge in comparable sales.

Ross Stores reported first quarter 2026 sales of $6.01 billion and earnings per share of $2.02, significantly exceeding analyst consensus. Total sales grew 21% year-over-year, propelled by a sharp increase in customer traffic which led the company to raise its full-year outlook.

Key Highlights

• Comparable store sales grew a robust 17%, more than doubling the 7.9% consensus estimate and driven primarily by higher customer traffic.
• Operating margin was 13.4%, outperforming the company's guidance of 11.8% to 12.1% due to stronger-than-expected sales.
• Ross Stores raised its full-year 2026 guidance, now forecasting comparable sales growth of 6% to 7% and EPS in the range of $7.50 to $7.74.