TJX Cos Inc TJX.N and Target Corp TGT.N had also posted better margins on Wednesday due to easing cost pressures. By Ananya Mariam Rajesh May 18 (Reuters) - Ross Stores ROST.O on Thursday raised its annual profit forecast after upbeat quarterly results, buoyed by budget-conscious customers increasingly shopping at the off-price retailer and easing freight costs. The company also reiterated that it expects annual comparable sales to be relatively flat, with CEO Barbara Rentler saying that people were searching for even more compelling bargains and inflation had driven its customers to cut discretionary spending in some categories.