Tracy Preston Sells 5,271 Shares of Macy’s (NYSE:M) Stock

Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M) EVP Tracy Preston sold 5,271 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.92, for a total transaction of $94,456.32. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 28,773 shares in the company, valued at approximately $515,612.16. The trade was a 15.48% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Macy’s Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of NYSE:M opened at $18.36 on Thursday. Macy’s, Inc. has a 12 month low of $9.81 and a 12 month high of $24.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.49 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $19.47 and its 200 day simple moving average is $20.18. The firm has a market cap of $4.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.91 and a beta of 1.51.

Macy’s (NYSE:M) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 18th. The company reported $1.67 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.12. Macy’s had a net margin of 2.84% and a return on equity of 14.22%. The business had revenue of $7.92 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.48 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.80 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Macy’s, Inc. will post 2.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Macy’s Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a $0.1915 dividend. This represents a $0.77 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. This is an increase from Macy’s’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. Macy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 33.19%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Macy’s in a research note on Friday, March 27th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Macy’s from $8.00 to $9.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Monday, March 9th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Macy’s from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated a “market perform” rating and issued a $20.00 price target on shares of Macy’s in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price target on shares of Macy’s from $21.00 to $20.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 19th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Macy’s currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $18.90.

Macy’s News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Macy’s reported an earnings and revenue beat for the March quarter (EPS $1.67 vs. $1.55 est.; revenue $7.92B vs. $7.48B est.), which supports near-term upside and helped lift the stock. MarketBeat – Macy’s
• Positive Sentiment: The company recently raised its quarterly dividend (paid April 1), increasing annualized payout and boosting yield (~4.2%), a shareholder-friendly move that can support the stock’s appeal to income investors. Dividend disclosure (MarketBeat)
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple insiders sold shares on April 6 (CEO Antony Spring sold 50,044 shares; several other executives also sold smaller blocks). Company disclosures say the sales were to cover tax withholding tied to vested awards, which typically makes these Form 4 sales neutral from a governance perspective. InsiderTrades – insider sale alert
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst coverage is mixed-to-weak: several price targets have been cut and the consensus rating skews toward “Reduce” with an average target near $18.90 — that limits upside unless fundamentals or guidance improve. Analyst notes (MarketBeat)
• Negative Sentiment: Technically, the stock is trading below its 50- and 200-day moving averages, which can attract short-term selling pressure from momentum and quant funds. Market data (MarketBeat)

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in M. Strengthening Families & Communities LLC bought a new position in shares of Macy’s during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. V Square Quantitative Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Macy’s during the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. bought a new position in shares of Macy’s during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Macy’s by 51.7% during the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,543 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 526 shares during the period. Finally, Bessemer Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Macy’s by 41.4% during the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 2,023 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 592 shares during the period. 87.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.