Ross Stores, Inc. vs Advanced Drainage Systems Inc — how do they compare? Ross Stores, Inc. trades at $252.25 (market cap $81.74B), while Advanced Drainage Systems Inc trades at $143.7 (market cap $10.68B). The key difference: Ross Stores, Inc. is far larger — about 7.7× Advanced Drainage Systems Inc's market cap, and Ross Stores, Inc. pays the higher dividend (0.7%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ROST | WMS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $81.74B | $10.68B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Industrials |
52-Week High | $255.23 | $175.38 |
52-Week Low | $144.67 | $129.50 |
Enterprise Value | $82.34B | $12.29B |
Dividend Yield | 0.7% | 0.56% |
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.
Advanced Drainage Systems (WMS) trades at $143.95, down 3.03% on the day, with a neutral technical signal. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings of $2.49 per share, beating estimates, and maintains solid profitability with a 14% net income margin and 24.9% ROE. Recent news highlights Q1 fiscal 2027 sales growth of 21% and consistent dividend payments, though cash flow turned negative in 2025 due to increased investing activity.
The outlook is mixed; analyst consensus is a Buy with a $185.86 price target, but near-term risks include volatile cash flows and high valuation multiples. Upside potential hinges on execution of growth initiatives and infrastructure demand, while margin pressure and economic sensitivity pose challenges.
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 →Advanced Drainage Systems Inc is engaged in designing, manufacturing, and marketing thermoplastic corrugated pipe and related water management products in North and South America, and Europe. The company's operating segment includes Pipe
Read more on WMS →