Sifting through countless of stocks in the Specialty Retail industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores and Inc.

O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer and supplier of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment, and accessories in the United States, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada. The company offers new and remanufactured automotive hard parts and maintenance items, such as alternators, batteries, brake system components, belts, chassis parts, driveline parts, engine parts, fuel pumps, hoses, starters, temperature control, water pumps, antifreeze, appearance products, engine additives, filters, fluids, lighting products, and oil and wiper blades; and accessories, including floor mats, seat covers, and truck accessories. It also provides auto body paint and related materials, automotive tools, and professional service provider service equipment. In addition, the company offers enhanced services and programs consisting of used oil, oil filter, and battery recycling; battery, wiper, and bulb replacement; battery diagnostic testing; electrical and module testing; check engine light code extraction; loaner tool program; referrals to trusted local repair shops; drum and rotor resurfacing; custom hydraulic hoses; and professional paint shop mixing and related materials. It offers its products to do-it-yourself and professional service providers for domestic and imported automobiles, vans, and trucks. It offers its products under the BesTest, BrakeBest, Cartek, Import Direct, MasterPro, MicroGard, Murray, Omnispark, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Precision, PowerTorque, SuperStart, Syntec, and Ultima brand names. O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. was founded in 1957 and is headquartered in Springfield, Missouri.

Ross Stores, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates off-price retail apparel and home fashion stores under the Ross Dress for Less and dd’s DISCOUNTS brands in the United States. The company offers designer apparel, accessories, footwear, and home-fashioned products for the entire family. It sells its products to middle income households and households with lower to more moderate incomes. Ross Stores, Inc. was incorporated in 1957 and is headquartered in Dublin, California.

Latest Specialty Retail and O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores, Inc. Stock News

As of July 31, 2026, O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. had a $72.9 billion market capitalization, compared to the Specialty Retail median of $951.4 million. O'Reilly Automotive, Inc.’s stock is down 2% in 2026, up 2.2% in the previous five trading days and down 10.09% in the past year.

Currently, O'Reilly Automotive, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 29.1. O'Reilly Automotive, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $18.2 billion with a 14.3% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 10.2%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $3.277 per share for the current fiscal year. O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

As of July 31, 2026, Ross Stores, Inc. had a $80.5 billion market cap, putting it in the 96th percentile of all stocks. Ross Stores, Inc.’s stock is up 39.4% in 2026, up 5.1% in the previous five trading days and up 81.31% in the past year.

Currently, Ross Stores, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 35.1. Ross Stores, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $23.8 billion with a 9.7% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 20.6%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $7.793 per share for the current fiscal year. Ross Stores, Inc. currently has a 0.7% dividend yield.

How We Compare O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores and Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores and Inc. Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
O'Reilly Automotive, Inc.	ORLY	A
Ross Stores, Inc.	ROST	A

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. has a Growth Score of 100, which is Very Strong. Ross Stores, Inc. has a Growth Score of 83, which is Very Strong.

The Growth Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Growth Grade breakdown above, both O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores and Inc. have a grade of A. For investors who focus solely on a company’s upward growth, further research should be conducted into both companies’ other financial metrics before deciding whether to invest.

O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores and Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
O'Reilly Automotive, Inc.	ORLY	D
Ross Stores, Inc.	ROST	A

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 30, which is Weak. Ross Stores, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 83, which is Very Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: Ross Stores, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, Ross Stores, Inc. is considered to have stronger momentum compared to O'Reilly Automotive, Inc.. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, Ross Stores, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores and Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
O'Reilly Automotive, Inc.	ORLY	C
Ross Stores, Inc.	ROST	B

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 52, which is Neutral. Ross Stores, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 69, which is Positive.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: Ross Stores, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, Ross Stores, Inc. has a better Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade than O'Reilly Automotive, Inc.. For those who are specifically looking for companies with better short-term prospects when compared to other companies in the same industry, Ross Stores, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Other O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores and Inc. Grades

In addition to Growth, Momentum and Estimate Revisions, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Quality.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores or Inc. Stock?

Overall, O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 100, Momentum Score of 30 and Estimate Revisions Score of 52.

Ross Stores, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 83, Momentum Score of 83 and Estimate Revisions Score of 69.

Comparing O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Ross Stores and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.