Will ROST's Q1 2026 EPS beat forecasts?

**Ross Stores' Q1 2026 EPS is likely to be in line with forecasts**, considering the analyst estimates and recent performance indicators.

1. **Analyst Expectations**: The consensus for Ross Stores' Q1 2026 EPS is $1.42, which represents a 2.74% drop compared to the same quarter of the previous year. This suggests that while analysts anticipate a slight decline, the EPS is not expected to miss expectations significantly.
2. **Recent Performance**: Ross Stores reported an EPS of $1.79 for the latest quarter, which beat analysts' consensus estimates of $1.65 by $0.14. This recent outperformance could indicate a strong EPS report is possible in the near term.

|code|Ticker|Name|Date|Estimate EPS|EPS Surprise|market_code|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|ROST|ROST.O|Ross Stores|2025 Q1|1.35|0.11|185|
|ROST|ROST.O|Ross Stores|2025 Q2|1.5|0.09|185|
|ROST|ROST.O|Ross Stores|2025 Q3|1.4|0.08|185|
|ROST|ROST.O|Ross Stores|2025 Q4|1.66|0.13|185|

3. **Strategic Positioning**: The company's strategic expansion and focus on off-price retail are likely to support its earnings. Ross Stores has been expanding its store network and has seen a 3.7% increase in sales to $21.1 billion in 2025. The robust sales growth and net earnings surge to $2.09 billion suggest a strong financial performance, which could translate into meeting EPS forecasts.
4. **Market Conditions**: The retail industry is facing challenges, including shifts in consumer preferences and macroeconomic uncertainties. However, Ross Stores has shown resilience in the face of these challenges, which could mitigate potential risks to its EPS.

In conclusion, while there are slight concerns about a potential decline in EPS, the recent positive performance, strategic positioning, and robust financials suggest that Ross Stores is likely to meet or slightly exceed EPS forecasts for Q1 2026.