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

Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M)’s stock price was 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 stock traded as low as $22.95 and last traded at $22.9070. Approximately 2,400,853 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 69% from the average daily volume of 7,690,005 shares. The stock had previously closed at $23.83.

Several other research firms have also commented on M. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on Macy’s from $14.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a “cautious” rating in a report on Friday, December 5th. BTIG Research assumed coverage on Macy’s in a research report on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “neutral” rating for the company. UBS Group set a $21.00 price target on Macy’s in a research report on Thursday, December 4th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Macy’s from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Macy’s from $16.50 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, one has issued a Buy rating, eleven have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $20.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Danielle L. Kirgan sold 85,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.92, for a total transaction of $2,033,200.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 51,161 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,223,771.12. This trade represents a 62.43% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 2.77% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Macy’s

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in M. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. bought a new position in shares of Macy’s in the third quarter worth about $31,000. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in Macy’s by 523.0% in the second quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 3,171 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 2,662 shares during the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Macy’s by 41.4% during the third quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,023 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 592 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 1,162 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp increased its holdings in Macy’s by 28.7% during the 2nd quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 4,876 shares of the company’s stock worth $57,000 after purchasing an additional 1,087 shares during the period. 87.36% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Macy’s Stock Down 3.8%

The company has a current ratio of 1.25, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. The firm has a market cap of $6.09 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.55 and a beta of 1.44. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $20.68 and a 200-day moving average price of $16.30.

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

Macy’s Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.1824 per share. This represents a $0.73 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 15th. Macy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 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.