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The Gap vs Ross Stores: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Ross Stores holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across growth and profitability. The Gap still has the edge on valuation, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the Russell 1000 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-04-26

The lead is spread across growth and profitability, rather than sitting in one isolated gap. Ross Stores, Inc. leads by 18 points on the overall comparison score.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Apparel Retail

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. GAP and ROST share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how The Gap and Ross Stores each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
GAP
The Gap, Inc.
49
Peer-Score
Signal qualityLow
Peer basis: Russell 1000
vs
ROST
Ross Stores, Inc.
67
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: Russell 1000

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: GAP vs ROST Profitability 27 72 Stability 34 61 Valuation 88 52 Growth 40 86 GAP ROST
Gap Ranking
#1 Growth +46
#2 Profitability +45
#3 Valuation +36
#4 Stability +27
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for GAP and ROST Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer GAPROST Relative valuation Structural strength

The price setup looks more supportive for Ross Stores, Inc., but The Gap, Inc. still has the stronger structure.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where GAP and ROST each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY GAP Elevated · near norm 0th 50th 100th 11 pct gap ROST Elevated · above norm 0th 50th 100th 88th 99th
GAP (88th percentile) and ROST (99th percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Growth
Both profiles are strong on growth, but Ross Stores, Inc. leads clearly.
Profitability
The same broad pattern appears on profitability: Ross Stores, Inc. ranks near the top of the group, while The Gap, Inc. stays in the weaker half.
Growth — Dominant Gap
GAP
40
ROST
86
Gap+46in favour of ROST

Earnings growth is one contributing factor within the growth lead.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Absolute pricing still looks more supportive for The Gap, with a forward P/E that is 17.6 turns lower there.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both growth and profitability — though valuation still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the GAP vs ROST comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Other comparisons with conflicting dimension signals

Explore how GAP and ROST each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.