BURL vs ROST: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Same yardstick, side by side (as of August 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Reading it: BURL is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. BURL and ROST share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined BURL and ROST exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

Burlington Stores runs 1,242 off-price retail stores across the United States, selling branded apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty and home goods at prices set well under what department stores charge for the same labels. The buying model is opportunistic: merchants pick up closeout lots, cancelled orders and packaway inventory from vendors, then flow it to stores as the season fits. Nothing is guaranteed to be on the rack next week, and that scarcity is the point of the format. The chain grew out of Burlington Coat Factory, and the operating subsidiary still carries that name, though outerwear is now a modest slice of the mix. Under CEO Michael O'Sullivan, who arrived in 2019, the company has moved to smaller store boxes, cut comparable-store inventory levels, widened the brand assortment and pushed hard on openings, many of them leases picked up out of other retailers' bankruptcies.

Full BURL guide

Ross Stores (ROST) is one of the largest off-price retailers in the United States, selling brand-name and designer apparel, footwear, accessories, and home fashions at prices well below department and specialty stores. It operates two banners: Ross Dress for Less, its flagship chain of roughly 1,950 stores, and dd's DISCOUNTS, a more moderately priced format with about 375 stores aimed at value-focused shoppers. The company's model is built on the treasure-hunt experience: it buys excess and in-season merchandise opportunistically from a wide network of vendors, keeps a lean assortment that changes constantly, and passes the savings on to customers at 20% to 70% off. This closeout buying, no-frills store operations, and rapid inventory turnover let Ross run at low prices while protecting margins. Off-price retail tends to hold up relatively well when household budgets tighten, because value-seeking shoppers trade down into it, which is why Ross is often described as recession-resilient. Headquartered in Dublin, California, Ross continues to expand its store count each year toward a long-term target of thousands of additional locations across both banners.

Full ROST guide

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

• BURL drivers: Store growth on other retailers' real estate; The margin gap with TJX and Ross.
• ROST drivers: The off-price treasure-hunt model; Recession resilience and trade-down demand.

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The full-year plan assumes comparable store sales of only 2% to 4% after a 6% first quarter, and the second-quarter guide of 1% to 3% points to deliberate deceleration, so a strong start does not carry the year by itself. For ROST, ross is a consumer-discretionary retailer, so its sales depend on the health of consumer spending, employment, and confidence, which weaken in downturns.

Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick BURL if you believe its drivers more; ROST if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the BURL and ROST guides.

BURL. Trailing twelve-month revenue of roughly $11.9 billion produced about $624 million of GAAP net income, or ~$9.72 per diluted share, while management guides fiscal 2026 adjusted EPS to $11.45 to $11.80. The gap between the two mostly reflects expenses on bankruptcy-acquired leases plus the $15 million charge from retiring convertible notes in the first quarter. At about $337 the shares carry a higher trailing multiple than either TJX or Ross Stores despite thinner margins, which is the premium attached to the catch-up case; second-quarter results are due in late August 2026.

ROST. Ross's results are driven by comparable-store sales, new-store openings, and margin management around freight, wages, and shrink. Off-price retailers often trade at premium multiples to traditional department stores because of their steadier growth and defensive demand, so the stock can look expensive on trailing earnings during strong periods. Figures here are approximate and change each quarter with the consumer environment and company guidance; verify current numbers before relying on them.

Headline figures (approximate, August 2026): BURL shows revenue (ttm) ~$11.9B, net income / diluted eps (ttm) ~$624M / ~$9.72, latest quarter (13 weeks ended may 2, 2026) Net sales ~$2.85B, up 14%; comps up 6%; adjusted EPS ~$2.10, fiscal 2026 adjusted eps guidance ~$11.45 to ~$11.80, vs ~$10.17 last year; ROST shows revenue (annual) ~$22 billion (fiscal 2026 run rate, growing), primary business off-price apparel, footwear, accessories, and home fashions, store banners Ross Dress for Less (~1,950) and dd's DISCOUNTS (~375), recent comparable-store sales positive, with Q1 fiscal 2026 comps up double digits.

BURL and ROST are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined BURL and ROST exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.