Macy’s (NYSE:M) Stock Price Down 3.9% Following Analyst Downgrade

Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M)’s share price traded down 3.9% during mid-day trading on Monday after Wall Street Zen downgraded the stock from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating. The company traded as low as $22.95 and last traded at $22.9070. 2,400,853 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 69% from the average session volume of 7,690,005 shares. The stock had previously closed at $23.83.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Macy’s in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Guggenheim initiated coverage on shares of Macy’s in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating on the stock. Cowen restated a “hold” rating on shares of Macy’s in a research note on Thursday, December 4th. Zacks Research raised Macy’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, September 18th. Finally, BTIG Research started coverage on shares of Macy’s in a research note on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “neutral” rating on the stock. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has given a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $20.50.

Insider Activity

In other Macy’s news, EVP Danielle L. Kirgan sold 85,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $23.92, for a total transaction of $2,033,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 51,161 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,223,771.12. This trade represents a 62.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 2.77% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. acquired a new stake in Macy’s during the 3rd quarter valued at $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of Macy’s by 523.0% in the 2nd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 3,171 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 2,662 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Macy’s by 41.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,023 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 592 shares in the last quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Macy’s by 101.1% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 2,311 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 1,162 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its holdings in Macy’s by 28.7% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,876 shares of the company’s stock valued at $57,000 after acquiring an additional 1,087 shares during the period. 87.36% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Macy’s Trading Down 3.8%

The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $20.68 and a 200 day simple moving average of $16.30. 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 company has a market capitalization of $6.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.55 and a beta of 1.44.

Macy’s (NYSE:M) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, December 3rd. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.13) by $0.22. Macy’s had a return on equity of 15.57% and a net margin of 2.10%.The business had revenue of $4.91 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.52 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.04 EPS. Macy’s’s quarterly revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Macy’s has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.000-2.20 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Macy’s, Inc. will post 2.39 earnings per share for the current year.

Macy’s Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.1824 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 15th. This represents a $0.73 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.2%. Macy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 43.20%.

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.