Ross Stores, Inc. reported sales for the four weeks ended Jan. 30, 2010 of $411 million, an increase of 13% over the $365 million in sales for the four weeks ended Jan. 31, 2009. Same store sales for the four weeks ended Jan. 30, 2010 grew 8% over the prior year period.
For the 13 weeks ended Jan. 30, 2010, sales rose 14% to $1.980 billion, from $1.73 billion for the 13 weeks ended Jan. 31, 2009. Comparable store sales for the quarter ended Jan. 30, 2010 increased 10% over last year.
For the 52 weeks ended Jan. 30, 2010, sales grew 11% to $7.184 billion, compared to $6.49 billion in sales for the 52 weeks ended January 31, 2009. Comparable store sales for the 52 weeks ended January 30, 2010 rose 6% over the prior year.
Michael Balmuth, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are very pleased with our strong sales performance for January and the fourth quarter. Merchandise and geographic trends were relatively broad-based. Home and Shoes were the strongest merchandise categories in January, while the Mid Atlantic and Mountain regions were the top performing markets.”
Fourth Quarter and Fiscal 2009 Estimates
Based on January sales and margin results, the company is updating its profit forecast for the 13 weeks ended January 30, 2010. Earnings per share are now estimated to increase 51% to 53% to $1.15 to $1.16, up from $.76 for the 13 weeks ended Jan. 31, 2009. For the 52 weeks ended Jan. 30, 2010, earnings per share are estimated to grow about 52% to $3.53 to $3.54, up from $2.33 for the 2008 fiscal year ended January 31, 2009.
