UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
_______________
Form 8-K
 
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
 
Date of report (date of earliest event reported):
August 4, 2011
 
ROSS STORES, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
 
Delaware	0-14678	94-1390387	
(State or other jurisdiction of	(Commission File No.)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification	
incorporation)	 	No.)	
 
4440 Rosewood Drive, Pleasanton, California, 94588-3050
(Address of principal executive offices)
 
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:
(925) 965-4400
 
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
 
[   ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
 
[   ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
 
[   ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
       
[   ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 
 
ROSS STORES, INC.	4440 Rosewood Drive, Pleasanton, California 94588-3050	(925)965-4400	

 

Item 2.02 Results of Operations and Financial Condition.
 
On August 4, 2011, the Company issued a press release regarding the Company’s sales results and estimated earnings for its fiscal quarter ended July 30, 2011. The full text of the Company’s press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.
 
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
 
     (c) Exhibits.
 
Exhibit	     	 	
No.	 	Description	
99.1	 	August 4, 2011 Press Release by Ross Stores, Inc.*	

*Pursuant to Item 2.02 of Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.1 shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Act of 1934, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
 
SIGNATURES
 
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
 
Date: August 4, 2011
 
 	ROSS STORES, INC.	
 	Registrant	

 	By: 	/s/ J. Call	
 	 	John G. Call	
 	 	Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and	
 	 	Principal Accounting Officer	

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 	Exhibit 99.1	

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	
    	
Contact:	John Call	Bobbi Chaville	
 	Senior Vice President,	Senior Director, Investor Relations	
 	Chief Financial Officer	Phone: (925) 965-4289 	
 	Phone: (925) 965-4315	Email: bobbi.chaville@ros.com	
  
ROSS STORES REPORTS JULY SAME STORE SALES GAIN OF 7%,
RAISES SECOND QUARTER EPS ESTIMATE
 
     Pleasanton, California, August 4, 2011 --Ross Stores, Inc. (Nasdaq: ROST) today reported that sales increased 11% to $635 million for the four weeks ended July 30, 2011, up from $573 million in sales for the four weeks ended July 31, 2010. Comparable store sales for the month grew 7%.
 
     For the thirteen weeks ended July 30, 2011, sales totaled $2.089 billion, a 9% gain over the $1.912 billion in sales for the thirteen weeks ended July 31, 2010. Comparable store sales for the quarter ended July 30, 2011 were up 5% on top of a 4% increase in the prior year.
 
     For the six months ended July 30, 2011, sales totaled $4.164 billion, an 8% increase over the $3.847 billion in sales for the six months ended July 31, 2010. Comparable store sales for the six months ended July 30, 2011 increased 4% on top of a strong 7% gain last year.
 
     Michael Balmuth, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We are very pleased that our sales outperformed expectations for both July and the second quarter. Our ability to capitalize on our strong position as an off-price retailer by delivering a wide array of name brand bargains to today’s value-focused customers continues to drive healthy traffic to our stores. Dresses and Shoes were our best-performing merchandise categories during the month, while Texas and Florida remained our strongest markets.”
 
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     Looking ahead, Mr. Balmuth said, “Based on our better-than-expected sales and gross margin performance in July, we now estimate earnings per share for the second quarter ended July 30, 2011 to be $1.27 to $1.28. This represents projected EPS growth of 19% to 20% on top of exceptional 30% and 52% gains in the second quarters of 2010 and 2009, respectively. We plan to provide sales and earnings guidance for the third and fourth quarters with our second quarter earnings release and conference call on Thursday, August 18th.”
 
     Additional recorded information concerning today’s press release and the Company’s future outlook can be accessed by calling 706-645-9291, ID# 60531750, from 8:30 a.m. Eastern time on August 4, 2011 through 8:00 p.m. Eastern time on August 5, 2011. A transcript of these comments is available in the Investors section of the corporate website at www.rossstores.com.
 
     The Company plans to issue August 2011 sales results on Thursday, September 1st.
 
     Forward-Looking Statements: This press release and the recorded comments on our corporate website contain forward-looking statements regarding expected sales, earnings levels and other financial results in future periods that are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause our actual results to differ materially from management’s current expectations. The estimated earnings per share for the second quarter ended July 30, 2011 are preliminary and subject to adjustments. The words “plan,” “expect,” “target,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “believe,” “forecast,” “projected,” “guidance,” “looking ahead” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. Risk factors for Ross Dress for Less ®  (“Ross”) and dd’s DISCOUNTS ®  include without limitation, competitive pressures in the apparel or home-related merchandise industry; changes in the level of consumer spending on or preferences for apparel or home-related merchandise; the impact from the macro-economic environment and financial and credit markets including but not limited to interest rates, recession, inflation, deflation, energy costs, tax rates and policy, unemployment trends, and fluctuating commodity costs; changes in geopolitical conditions; unseasonable weather trends; disruptions in supply chain; lower than planned gross margin, including higher than planned markdowns and higher than expected inventory shortage; greater than planned operating costs; our ability to continue to purchase attractive brand-name merchandise at desirable discounts; our ability to attract and retain personnel with the retail talent necessary to execute our strategies; our ability to effectively operate our various supply chain, core merchandising and other information systems; our ability to improve our merchandising capabilities through the implementation of new processes and systems enhancements; achieving and maintaining targeted levels of productivity and efficiency in our distribution centers; and obtaining acceptable new store locations. Other risk factors are detailed in our SEC filings including without limitation, the Form 10-K for fiscal 2010 and Form 10-Q and 8-Ks for fiscal 2011. The factors underlying our forecasts are dynamic and subject to change. As a result, our forecasts speak only as of the date they are given and do not necessarily reflect our outlook at any other point in time. We do not undertake to update or revise these forward-looking statements.
 
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     Ross Stores, Inc. is an S&P 500, Fortune 500 and Nasdaq 100 (ROST) company headquartered in Pleasanton, California, with fiscal 2010 revenues of $7.9 billion. The Company operates Ross Dress for Less ®  (“Ross”), the largest off-price apparel and home fashion chain in the United States with 1,013 locations in 27 states and Guam. Ross offers first-quality, in-season, name brand and designer apparel, accessories, footwear and home fashions for the entire family at everyday savings of 20% to 60% off department and specialty store regular prices. The Company also operates 78 dd’s DISCOUNTS ®  in six states that feature a more moderately-priced assortment of first-quality, in-season, name brand apparel, accessories, footwear and home fashions for the entire family at everyday savings of 20% to 70% off moderate department and discount store regular prices. Additional information is available at www.rossstores.com.
 
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