Traders Purchase Large Volume of Macy’s Call Options (NYSE:M)

Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M) saw unusually large options trading on Tuesday. Stock investors bought 31,443 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 53% compared to the average daily volume of 20,604 call options.

Insider Buying and Selling at Macy’s

In related news, EVP Danielle L. Kirgan sold 85,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.92, for a total value of $2,033,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 51,161 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,223,771.12. This represents a 62.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 2.77% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Macy’s during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $58,743,000. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its position in Macy’s by 104.5% in the second quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 9,627,790 shares of the company’s stock valued at $112,260,000 after buying an additional 4,920,821 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Macy’s by 160.5% during the second quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,283,107 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,941,000 after buying an additional 2,639,132 shares during the last quarter. Hennessy Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Macy’s during the third quarter worth $44,362,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in shares of Macy’s by 107.5% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 4,253,538 shares of the company’s stock worth $49,596,000 after buying an additional 2,203,874 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.36% of the company’s stock.

Macy’s Price Performance

M stock opened at $23.22 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $21.67 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $17.21. The firm has a market cap of $6.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.74 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56. Macy’s has a 12 month low of $9.76 and a 12 month high of $24.41.

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

Macy’s Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, December 15th were paid a $0.1824 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 15th. This represents a $0.73 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.1%. Macy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 43.20%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently commented on M. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Macy’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, September 18th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Macy’s from $19.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Cowen reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of Macy’s in a report on Thursday, December 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Macy’s from $16.50 to $22.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 5th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on Macy’s from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Two 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $20.50.

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.