LIVE
BURL
Burlington Stores, Inc. · Consumer Discretionary - Off-Price Retail
$336.95
+17.77% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
ROST
Ross Stores, Inc. · Consumer Discretionary - Off-Price Retail
$232.80
+9.46% this month
Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
BURL
2
ROST
2
Comparison scoreboard
MIXED SETUPAI Score
BURL 54.1
ROST ✓55.7
1Y Return
BURL +48.22%
ROST ✓+80.40%
Fwd P/E
BURL ✓24.43
ROST 28.04
Target Up.
BURL ✓+8.94%
ROST +6.68%
Op. Margin
BURL N/A
ROST 13.38%
Metrics last refreshed: 6/20/2026
Quick take
BURL vs ROST Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
BURL (Burlington Stores) and ROST (Ross Stores) are both major U.S. off-price retailers selling discounted brand-name merchandise — Ross is the more established, higher-margin operator with over 2,000 stores, while Burlington is on a multi-year operational improvement journey with a smaller-format strategy to catch up to Ross and TJX margins.
BURL vs ROST is off-price retail turnaround opportunity (Burlington's margin gap closing) versus off-price retail excellence (Ross's consistent execution and buyback return) — both benefiting from department store share loss but at different points on the quality spectrum.
Live analysis · updated 6/20/2026
BURL and ROST are closely matched — they split the tracked metrics evenly. ROST has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+80.40% vs +48.22%), though BURL trades at the lower forward P/E (24.43x vs 28.04x). Analyst consensus implies similar upside for both: +8.94% for BURL and +6.68% for ROST.
Normalized 1Y performance
BURL
ROST
Recent returns
BURL
ROST
Analyst price targets & sentiment
BURL · 15 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.7/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$300.00
analyst high$435.00
analyst mean$367.07
current price$336.95
+8.9% upside to analyst mean
ROST · 20 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.9/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$124.24
analyst mean$256.18
current price$232.80
+6.7% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
BURL may suit investors who:
- →Want off-price retail exposure with a turnaround angle — Burlington's margin gap to Ross and TJX represents upside if its operational improvements execute as planned
- →Value Burlington's smaller store format strategy as a path to more store locations and better inventory productivity than competitors with large-format stores
- →See Burlington's lower current margins as opportunity rather than a red flag — the gap versus Ross reflects execution potential, not structural disadvantage
ROST may suit investors who:
- →Want the best-executed, highest-margin U.S. off-price retailer after TJX, with consistent comparable store sales and a long track record of shareholder value creation
- →Value Ross's dd's DISCOUNTS chain as incremental market coverage at a lower price point and its disciplined buyback program returning steady free cash flow
- →Prefer proven off-price execution and consistent margin performance over the turnaround potential of a lower-margin operator like Burlington
Performance & AI score
| Metric | BURL | ROST |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 54.1 | 55.7 |
| AI rank | #286 | #246 |
| Latest close | $336.95 | $232.80 |
| 1M return | +17.77% | +9.46% |
| 6M return | +25.64% | +27.39% |
| 1Y return | +48.22% | +80.40% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | BURL | ROST |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $14.82K (+48.2%) started 2025-06-18 | $18.18K (+81.8%) started 2025-06-18 |
| 5Y ago | $11.17K (+11.7%) started 2021-06-18 | $21.28K (+112.8%) started 2021-06-21 |
| 10Y ago | $53.03K (+430.3%) started 2016-06-20 | $51.21K (+412.1%) started 2016-06-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | BURL | ROST |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $21.21B | $77.03B |
| Trailing P/E | 34.70 | 33.54 |
| Forward P/E | 24.43 | 28.04 |
| Price/Sales | 1.78 | 2.22 |
| EV/Revenue | 2.17 | 3.27 |
| Analyst target | $367.07 | $256.18 |
| Target upside | +8.94% | +6.68% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | BURL | ROST |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 14.10% | 20.60% |
| Earnings growth | 13.30% | 37.40% |
| EPS growth | +13.30% | +37.40% |
| FCF margin | +1.77% | +8.61% |
| Operating margin | N/A | 13.38% |
| Profit margin | 5.24% | 9.74% |
| ROIC proxy | 39.14% | 38.98% |
| Return on equity | 39.14% | 38.98% |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.74% |
| Beta | 1.46 | 0.87 |
| Debt/equity | 319.73 | 74.91 |
| Current ratio | 1.16 | 1.54 |
| Quick ratio | 0.40 | 0.88 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
BURL max drawdown19.55%
ROST max drawdown7.79%
BURL max wkly drop18.24%
ROST max wkly drop7.49%
5Y risk snapshot
BURL max drawdown68.87%
ROST max drawdown44.13%
BURL max wkly drop23.34%
ROST max wkly drop21.93%
10Y risk snapshot
BURL max drawdown68.87%
ROST max drawdown51.41%
BURL max wkly drop38.37%
ROST max wkly drop38.97%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | BURL | ROST |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | +48.22% | +81.80% |
| CAGR | +48.26% | +81.96% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.11 | 2.39 | |
| Max drawdown | 19.55% | 7.79% | |
| Max daily drop | 12.24% | 4.99% | |
| Max wkly drop | 18.24% | 7.49% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +11.73% | +103.58% |
| CAGR | +2.24% | +15.30% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.17 | 0.48 | |
| Max drawdown | 68.87% | 44.13% | |
| Max daily drop | 14.95% | 22.47% | |
| Max wkly drop | 23.34% | 21.93% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +430.30% | +367.92% |
| CAGR | +18.17% | +16.70% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.50 | 0.51 | |
| Max drawdown | 68.87% | 51.41% | |
| Max daily drop | 29.83% | 22.47% | |
| Max wkly drop | 38.37% | 38.97% |
Business comparison
| Category | BURL | ROST |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Burlington Stores, Inc. | Ross Stores, Inc. |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary - Off-Price Retail | Consumer Cyclical |
| Industry | N/A | Apparel Retail |
| Core business | Burlington Stores is a major U.S. off-price retailer selling discounted brand-name apparel, footwear, accessories, and home goods at 20-60% off department store prices across approximately 1,000 stores — focusing on a smaller store format strategy and more frequent merchandise turnover. | Ross Stores is the second-largest U.S. off-price retailer (behind TJX), operating Ross Dress for Less stores and dd's DISCOUNTS for more budget-conscious shoppers, selling brand-name apparel, accessories, footwear, and home goods at significant discounts across approximately 2,000+ stores. |
| Investor focus | Investors track Burlington's comparable store sales, new store openings and productivity, merchandise margins, and the company's execution of its smaller-store format strategy as a path to better returns and expanded addressable store locations. | Investors track Ross's comparable store sales, merchandise margins, new store openings, and the company's consistent execution of the off-price model as one of the best-managed and most profitable specialty retailers in the U.S. |
BURL strengths
- →Off-price retail model benefits from department store distress — as department stores reduce purchasing commitments, more opportunistic branded merchandise becomes available to off-price buyers
- →Burlington's smaller store format strategy (relative to TJX and Ross) allows expansion into more markets and locations while improving inventory turn and fresh merchandise perception
- →Off-price shopping provides a compelling value proposition that gains share during consumer spending downturns as shoppers trade from full-price retail
ROST strengths
- →Industry-leading off-price execution — Ross has consistently delivered strong comparable store sales and operating margins, outperforming both department stores and Burlington
- →dd's DISCOUNTS provides a lower price point tier that serves budget consumers and expands the total addressable market
- →Strong balance sheet and consistent buyback program — Ross has returned significant capital to shareholders through decades of disciplined free cash flow generation
Risks to watch — BURL
- →Burlington has lower operating margins than TJX and Ross — the company is in a multi-year journey to close the margin gap through buying organization improvements and mix optimization
- →Smaller store format strategy reduces average inventory depth versus larger format competitors — execution requires rapid inventory turnover and disciplined buying
- →Burlington's fashion and apparel mix (higher exposure to women's apparel than competitors) can be more volatile than Ross's more diversified off-price assortment
Risks to watch — ROST
- →Ross operates in a highly competitive off-price market — TJX (Marshalls, T.J. Maxx) is significantly larger and has more brand awareness advantages in many markets
- →Off-price retail's treasure-hunt model depends on consistent merchandise flow — if branded vendors tighten distribution and reduce off-price availability, sourcing quality can suffer
- →Real estate market dynamics affect new store opening productivity — rising retail rents in some markets increase occupancy costs for new Ross locations
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