Ross Stores Expands 2026 Store Opening Plan

Ross Stores (Nasdaq: ROST) has increased its planned store openings for 2026 to 115 new locations, an upward revision from the previously announced 110. The announcement came Thursday alongside the company's second-quarter earnings report.

The California-based off-price retailer reported that total sales for the second quarter rose 13% year-over-year to $6.26 billion. Same-store sales increased by 10%, which the company attributed to higher customer traffic. Of the planned new stores, 47 were opened during the last quarter.

Ross Stores also raised its full-year earnings per share forecast to a range of $8.61 to $8.77, up from $7.50 to $7.74. A significant factor in the improved outlook is a $253 million refund of tariffs, which boosted operating profits to $1.1 billion for the quarter, compared to $638.27 million a year ago. The company joins other retailers like Target and Walmart in receiving these payments following a Supreme Court ruling.

CEO Jim Conroy stated that the company had opted not to pass tariff costs onto consumers over the past year, instead absorbing the impact to maintain price stability. He indicated that "modest" price increases might occur throughout the year. Prior to this recent stock movement, Ross Stores shares had already seen a year-to-date increase of over 25% and a 12-month rise of more than 57%.