RO

Ross Stores, Inc. stock research

Feb 1, 2025

FY2024 Q4

Ross Stores (ROST) Gross Margin — Quarter Ended Feb 1, 2025

Revenue increased compared to the prior quarter, while gross profit also rose; however, cost of revenue grew at a faster pace, causing gross margin to weaken. Versus the same quarter last year, revenue was slightly lower and gross profit was stable, but cost of revenue decreased, resulting in a lower gross margin.

Gross margin takeaway

Quarter ended Feb 1, 2025 · FY2024 Q4

Revenue increased compared to the prior quarter, while gross profit also rose; however, cost of revenue grew at a faster pace, causing gross margin to weaken. Versus the same quarter last year, revenue was slightly lower and gross profit was stable, but cost of revenue decreased, resulting in a lower gross margin.

  • The strongest observable margin driver is the relationship between revenue and cost of revenue: revenue rose from the prior quarter, but cost of revenue increased more sharply, compressing gross margin.
  • Compared to the immediately preceding quarter, gross margin weakened as cost of revenue grew faster than revenue. Compared to the same quarter one year earlier, gross margin was lower, with revenue slightly down and cost of revenue also lower, but gross profit remained stable.

Gross margin snapshot

The selected quarter's reported revenue, gross profit, direct costs, and margin comparisons.

Gross margin

26.5%

Gross profit

$1.6B

Revenue

$5.9B

Cost of revenue

$4.3B

Quarter-over-quarter change

-1.8 pts

Year-over-year change

-0.8 pts

Quarterly gross margin trend

A four-quarter view of the revenue and direct-cost bridge behind gross margin.

PeriodRevenueGross profitCost of revenueGross margin
May 4, 2024$4.9B$1.4B$3.5B28.1%
Aug 3, 2024$5.3B$1.5B$3.8B28.3%
Nov 2, 2024$5.1B$1.4B$3.6B28.3%
Feb 1, 2025$5.9B$1.6B$4.3B26.5%

Quarterly comparisons

Compare the selected margin with the preceding quarter and the same fiscal quarter one year earlier.

Previous-quarter change

Nov 2, 2024

-1.8 pts

Year-over-year change

Feb 3, 2024

-0.8 pts

What the margin says

Filing-constrained interpretation of margin direction, comparisons, and what to monitor next.

The strongest observable margin driver is the relationship between revenue and cost of revenue: revenue rose from the prior quarter, but cost of revenue increased more sharply, compressing gross margin.

Compared to the immediately preceding quarter, gross margin weakened as cost of revenue grew faster than revenue. Compared to the same quarter one year earlier, gross margin was lower, with revenue slightly down and cost of revenue also lower, but gross profit remained stable.

Monitor the trajectory of cost of revenue relative to revenue, as its faster growth in the current quarter pressured gross margin.