Ross Stores (ROST.US) saw its shares climb more than 7% in premarket trading Wednesday, reaching $211.80. The retailer reported robust fiscal fourth-quarter results and issued an annual sales forecast that exceeded Wall Street expectations. According to the earnings report, Ross achieved a 9% increase in fourth-quarter comparable store sales, significantly surpassing the analyst consensus estimate of 4.03%. Quarterly earnings per share came in at $2.00, also beating the market expectation of $1.90. Revenue reached a record high of $6.64 billion, exceeding the anticipated $6.4 billion. Looking ahead, the company projected that annual comparable store sales growth for the new fiscal year would be in the range of 3% to 4%, with the midpoint of this range above the analyst average forecast of 3.05%. In a statement released Tuesday, Ross Stores commented, "We are encouraged by the strong performance of our business and confident in the strategic priorities we have set for the year." CEO Jim Conroy stated in the release, "With a healthy balance sheet, disciplined execution, and a clear focus on delivering exceptional value to our customers, we believe we are well-positioned to gain additional market share and drive sustainable, profitable growth in the coming year and beyond."