Macy’s Sees Unusually Large Options Volume (NYSE:M)

Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M) saw some unusual options trading activity on Tuesday. Stock traders acquired 35,478 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 142% compared to the typical volume of 14,652 call options.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on M shares. Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Macy’s in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Macy’s in a report on Thursday, December 4th. UBS Group increased their price target on Macy’s from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Evercore raised their price objective on Macy’s from $14.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a “cautious” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $22.00 price objective on shares of Macy’s in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $20.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in M. Corient Private Wealth LLC increased its holdings in shares of Macy’s by 51.9% in the fourth quarter. Corient Private Wealth LLC now owns 292,216 shares of the company’s stock valued at $6,444,000 after purchasing an additional 99,832 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its stake in Macy’s by 112.1% during the fourth quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 383,947 shares of the company’s stock worth $8,442,000 after buying an additional 202,906 shares during the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Macy’s by 1,859.1% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 1,337,481 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,491,000 after buying an additional 1,269,211 shares during the last quarter. Kera Capital Partners Inc. purchased a new stake in Macy’s in the 4th quarter valued at $271,000. Finally, Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its holdings in Macy’s by 420.3% in the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 66,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,461,000 after buying an additional 53,512 shares in the last quarter. 87.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Macy’s

Here are the key news stories impacting Macy’s this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Macy’s reported Q4 beat on both EPS and revenue, driven by positive comparable?store sales across its nameplates and strong Bloomingdale’s results — a key catalyst for intraday buying. MarketBeat: Q4 Results & Call
• Positive Sentiment: Management credited a structural shift — greater use of loyalty data, AI and refreshed store formats — for returning the company to comparable?sales growth, supporting a more constructive narrative on execution. PYMNTS: AI, Stores & Loyalty
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor interest ramped up ahead of the print — unusually large call?option volume was recorded, signaling speculative/leveraged positioning that can amplify moves in either direction. (Options volume data)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are split: Telsey reaffirmed market?perform with a $25 target, while JPMorgan trimmed its target from $24 to $21 and moved to neutral — both signal cautious optimism but reduce conviction among some investors. Benzinga: Analyst Note
• Negative Sentiment: Management issued mixed/soft guidance for the coming year, forecasting weaker annual sales and profit amid tight consumer spending — this tempers the upside from the quarter and explains some profit?taking pressure. Reuters: Weak Annual Sales Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Hotter?than?expected producer inflation readings (PPI) add a macro risk: stickier input prices or broader inflation could pressure margins or further curb consumer spending. Zacks: PPI Comes in Hot

Macy’s Trading Up 4.8%

Shares of M stock opened at $17.73 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $20.47 and its two-hundred day moving average is $20.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 1.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.49 and a beta of 1.51. Macy’s has a fifty-two week low of $9.76 and a fifty-two week high of $24.41.

Macy’s (NYSE:M) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, March 18th. The company reported $1.67 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $7.92 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.48 billion. Macy’s had a net margin of 2.10% and a return on equity of 15.57%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.80 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Macy’s will post 2.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Macy’s Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a $0.1915 dividend. This represents a $0.77 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This is a positive change from Macy’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. Macy’s’s payout ratio is currently 45.56%.

Macy’s Company Profile

Macy’s, Inc is a leading American omnichannel retailer operating under the Macy’s brand, as well as specialty divisions Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury. The company’s retail portfolio encompasses full-line department stores, fashion-focused specialty outlets and a high-end beauty chain, offering consumers a wide array of apparel, footwear, accessories, cosmetics and home furnishings. Through its integrated network of physical stores and digital platforms, Macy’s seeks to deliver a seamless shopping experience that blends in-store service with online convenience.

The company’s product assortment spans men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, beauty and personal care products, housewares and home décor.