ROSS STORES INC
EXHIBIT 10.4
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<TYPE>EX-10.4
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<DESCRIPTION>EXHIBIT 10.4
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<P ALIGN="RIGHT"><FONT SIZE=2><A
NAME="ke2374_exhibit_10.4"> </A>
<A NAME="toc_ke2374_1"> </A>
<BR></FONT><FONT SIZE=2><B>EXHIBIT 10.4    <BR>  </B></FONT></P>

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NAME="ke2374_amendment_to_third_amended_and__ame02947"> </A>
<A NAME="toc_ke2374_2"> </A>
<BR></FONT><FONT SIZE=2><B>AMENDMENT TO<BR>  THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED<BR>  ROSS STORES, INC<BR>  1992 STOCK OPTION PLAN    <BR>  </B></FONT></P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;WHEREAS, by letters dated December&nbsp;18, 2000 and January&nbsp;29, 2001, Ross Stores,&nbsp;Inc. (the "Company") requested a determination by the
Nasdaq Stock Market,&nbsp;Inc. ("Nasdaq") that the stockholder approval requirement of Nasdaq Marketplace Rule&nbsp;4350(i)(1)(A)&nbsp;would not apply to a proposed amendment to the Third
Amended and Restated Ross Stores,&nbsp;Inc. 1992 Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") to extend until the date of the annual meeting of the Company's stockholders in May&nbsp;2005 the term during which
options may be granted under the Plan; and </FONT></P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;WHEREAS,
by letter dated March&nbsp;6, 2001, Nasdaq stated its determination that it would not require stockholder approval of such amendment; </FONT></P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;NOW,
THEREFORE, Section&nbsp;1.3 of the Plan is hereby amended in its entirety as follows: </FONT></P>

<UL>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>However,
all options shall be granted, if at all, prior to the date of the Company's Annual Stockholder Meeting in May&nbsp;2005. </FONT></P>

</UL>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned Secretary of the Company certifies that the foregoing sets forth an amendment to Plan duly adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company on
March&nbsp;22, 2001. </FONT></P>

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<TD WIDTH="49%"><FONT SIZE=2>/s/ John G. Call</FONT><HR NOSHADE><FONT SIZE=2> Secretary</FONT></TD>
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&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
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March&nbsp;22, 2001</FONT><HR NOSHADE><FONT SIZE=2> Date</FONT></TD>
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<P ALIGN="CENTER"><FONT SIZE=2><A
NAME="ke2374_plan_history"> </A>
<A NAME="toc_ke2374_3"> </A>
<BR></FONT><FONT SIZE=2><B><I>PLAN HISTORY    <BR>  </I></B></FONT></P>

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<TD WIDTH="31%"><FONT SIZE=2>February&nbsp;24, 1984</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2>Board adopts 1984 Stock Option Plan ("Initial Plan") with an initial reserve of 300,000 shares.</FONT></TD>
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June&nbsp;1, 1984</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Stockholders approve Initial Plan</FONT></TD>
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October&nbsp;19, 1984</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Board approves two-for-one stock split, resulting in an adjusted reserve of 600,000 shares.</FONT></TD>
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July&nbsp;2, 1985</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Board approves three-for-two stock split, resulting in an adjusted reserve of 900,000 shares.</FONT></TD>
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February&nbsp;19, 1987</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Board amends and restates Initial Plan as Amended and Restated 1984 Stock Option Plan ("First Plan"), with an increased share reserve of 1,900,000 shares.</FONT></TD>
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<TD WIDTH="31%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
June&nbsp;8, 1987</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Stockholders approve First Plan.</FONT></TD>
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March&nbsp;14, 1988</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Board amends and restates First Plan as Second Amended and Restated 1984 Stock Option Plan ("Second Plan").</FONT></TD>
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May&nbsp;27, 1988</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Stockholders approve Second Plan.</FONT></TD>
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March&nbsp;17, 1989</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Board amends and restates Second Plan as Third Amended and Restated 1984 Stock Option Plan ("Third Plan"), with an increased share reserve of 3,400,000 shares.</FONT></TD>
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<TD WIDTH="31%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
May&nbsp;25, 1989</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Stockholders approve Third Plan.</FONT></TD>
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<TD WIDTH="31%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
March&nbsp;18, 1991</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Board amends and restates Third Plan as Fourth Amended and Restated 1984 Stock Option Plan ("Fourth Plan"), with an increased share reserve of 4,900,000 shares.</FONT></TD>
</TR>
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<TD WIDTH="31%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
May&nbsp;31, 1991</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Stockholders approve Fourth Plan.</FONT></TD>
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<TD WIDTH="31%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
March&nbsp;16, 1992</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Board amends and restates Fourth Plan as the 1992 Stock Option Plan ("1992 Plan"), with an increased share reserve of 6,400,000 shares and a term extended until March&nbsp;16, 2002.</FONT></TD>
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<TD WIDTH="31%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
May&nbsp;28, 1992</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Stockholders approve 1992 Plan.</FONT></TD>
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<TD WIDTH="31%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
March&nbsp;16, 1995</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Board amends and restates 1992 Plan as the Amended and Restated 1992 Stock Option Plan ("First 1992 Plan"), with an increased share reserve of 7,600,000 shares and a Section&nbsp;162(m) Grant Limit equal to 2% of the shares of common stock issued and
outstanding on April&nbsp;10, 1995 (24,632,786 shares X 2% = 492,655).</FONT></TD>
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<TD WIDTH="31%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
May&nbsp;25, 1995</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Stockholders approve First 1992 Plan.</FONT></TD>
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<TD WIDTH="31%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
March&nbsp;5, 1997</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Two-for-one stock split results in adjustment of share reserve from 7,600,000 shares to 15,200,000 shares and an adjustment of the Section 162(m) Grant Limit from 492,655 shares to 985,311 shares (49,265,572 shares X 2%).</FONT></TD>
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<TD WIDTH="31%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
March&nbsp;19, 1998</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Board amends and restates First 1992 Plan as the Second Amended and Restated 1992 Stock Option Plan ("Second 1992 Plan"), with an increased share reserve of 17,500,000 shares.</FONT></TD>
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<TD WIDTH="31%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
May&nbsp;28, 1998</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Stockholders approve Second 1992 Plan.</FONT></TD>
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September&nbsp;22, 1999</FONT></TD>
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Two-for-one stock split results in adjustment of share reserve from 17,500,000 shares to 35,000,000 shares and an adjustment of the Section&nbsp;162(m) Grant Limit from 985,311 shares to 1,970,622 shares (98,531,144 shares X 2%).</FONT></TD>
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March&nbsp;16, 2000</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Board amends and restates Second 1992 Plan as the Third Amended and Restated 1992 Stock Option Plan ("Third 1992 Plan"), with no change in the share reserve or persons eligible under the plan.</FONT></TD>
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March&nbsp;22, 2001</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="3%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
<TD WIDTH="66%"><FONT SIZE=2><BR>
Upon receipt of written determination of Nasdaq Stock Market,&nbsp;Inc., dated March&nbsp;6, 2001 that the stockholder approval requirement of Nasdaq Marketplace Rule&nbsp;4350(i)(1)(a)&nbsp;would not apply to such amendment, the Board amends the
Third 1992 Plan to extend the term of the plan until the date of the Annual Stockholders Meeting in May&nbsp;2005.</FONT></TD>
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<FONT SIZE=2><A HREF="#toc_ke2374_1">EXHIBIT 10.4</A></FONT><BR>
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<FONT SIZE=2><A HREF="#toc_ke2374_2">AMENDMENT TO THIRD AMENDED AND RESTATED ROSS STORES, INC 1992 STOCK OPTION PLAN</A></FONT><BR>
<FONT SIZE=2><A HREF="#toc_ke2374_3">PLAN HISTORY</A></FONT><BR>

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