Ross Stores, Inc. vs Unilever plc — how do they compare? Ross Stores, Inc. trades at $252.15 (market cap $81.74B), while Unilever plc trades at $62.32 (market cap $134.76B). The key difference: Unilever plc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Unilever plc pays the higher dividend (3.63%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ROST | UL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $81.74B | $134.76B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $255.23 | $74.59 |
52-Week Low | $144.67 | $55.05 |
Enterprise Value | $82.34B | $160.58B |
Dividend Yield | 0.7% | 3.63% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Ross Stores (ROST) trades at $255.23, up 0.36% on the day, near its consensus price target of $259. The stock shows strong momentum with a bullish technical signal and consistent earnings beats, including Q1 2026 EPS of $2.02 versus $1.73 expected. Revenue growth accelerated to $21.13B in 2025, with net income margin improving to 9.74%. Recent expansion includes 47 new stores opened in June-July 2026, supporting future growth.
Outlook remains positive given robust fundamentals and analyst optimism, but valuation multiples like P/E of 35.65 suggest premium pricing. Key risks include consumer spending sensitivity and competitive pressures in discount retail. The stock offers growth potential with disciplined execution, though investors should weigh high valuation against earnings sustainability.
Unilever (UL) trades at $62.96, down 1.1% over 24 hours, with technical indicators showing a bullish trend and strong support at $62. The company reported $50.5B revenue in 2025 with a net income margin of 18.75%, though recent quarters saw earnings misses. Positive sentiment is driven by a potential merger with McCormick and strong Q2 2026 volume growth, while analyst consensus is mixed with 24% buy ratings.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic due to merger synergies and margin expansion potential, but risks include integration challenges and competitive pressures. Cash flow volatility and debt levels warrant monitoring. The stock presents a value opportunity if execution improves, but near-term volatility may persist amid macroeconomic uncertainties.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Ross Stores is a leading American off-price apparel and home fashion retailer, operating over 1,920 stores (at the end of fiscal 2021) across the Ross Dress for Less and dd's Discounts banners. Ross offers a variety of name-brand products and targets undercutting conventional retailers' regular prices by 20%-70%. The company uses an opportunistic, flexible merchandising approach
Read more on ROST →Unilever is a diversified personal product (42% of 2021 sales by value), home care (20%), and packaged food (38%) company. Its brands include Knorr soups and sauces, Hellmann's mayonnaise, Lipton teas, Axe and Dove skin products, and the TRESemme haircare brand. The firm has been acquisitive in recent years
Read more on UL →