Macy’s Target of Unusually Large Options Trading (NYSE:M)

Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M) saw some unusual options trading on Wednesday. Stock traders purchased 16,077 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 39% compared to the typical volume of 11,540 call options.

Trending Headlines about Macy’s

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

• Positive Sentiment: Macy’s raised its fiscal 2026 outlook, projecting adjusted EPS of $2.15–$2.35 and revenue of approximately $21.7–$21.8 billion, above Wall Street’s estimates. Comparable sales also improved, suggesting the turnaround is gaining traction. Macy’s posts strong results, raises guidance as turnaround begins to take hold
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter earnings and revenue exceeded consensus expectations, with revenue increasing about 1.1% year over year. Growth was supported by premium merchandise and stronger spending from middle- and high-income customers across Macy’s brands. Macy’s Raises Outlook as Premium Goods Drive Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Income-oriented investors may view the roughly 3.5% dividend yield as attractive, particularly if improving sales and profitability continue to support cash generation. Tariff refunds also provided a benefit to the full-year profit outlook. Should Income Investors Buy the Dip in Macy’s Stock After Q2 Earnings?
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter EPS guidance of a $0.19–$0.23 loss was weaker than the roughly $0.12 loss analysts expected, while revenue guidance was broadly in line. The cautious near-term outlook overshadowed the quarterly beat and contributed to the selloff. Why a beat and raise isn’t driving Macy’s stock higher?

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Macy’s news, SVP Paul Griscom sold 10,077 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.63, for a total transaction of $258,273.51. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 25,373 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $650,309.99. The trade was a 28.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Thomas Edwards, Jr. sold 16,419 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, June 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.89, for a total transaction of $408,668.91. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 20,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $497,800. This trade represents a 45.08% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. 1.05% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Macy’s

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in Macy’s by 51.7% in the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 1,543 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 526 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC lifted its stake in Macy’s by 35.9% in the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 1,838 shares of the company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 486 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of Macy’s by 37.0% during the 2nd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 2,270 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 613 shares in the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Macy’s by 263.3% during the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,427 shares of the company’s stock worth $54,000 after buying an additional 1,759 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Macy’s during the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,000. Institutional investors own 87.36% of the company’s stock.

Macy’s Trading Down 4.7%

NYSE:M opened at $20.50 on Friday. Macy’s has a 52 week low of $16.41 and a 52 week high of $26.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 1.48. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $23.49 and its 200-day moving average is $21.42. The firm has a market cap of $5.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.47 and a beta of 1.41.

Macy’s (NYSE:M) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, September 10th. The company reported $0.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.26. The business had revenue of $5.06 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.81 billion. Macy’s had a net margin of 2.94% and a return on equity of 13.68%. Macy’s’s quarterly revenue was up 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.41 earnings per share. Macy’s has set its Q3 2026 guidance at -0.230–0.190 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.150-2.350 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Macy’s will post 2.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Macy’s Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 15th will be given a $0.1915 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 15th. This represents a $0.77 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.7%. Macy’s’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 31.82%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Evercore set a $22.00 price target on shares of Macy’s in a report on Thursday, June 4th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Macy’s from $20.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Zacks Research upgraded Macy’s from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Macy’s from $21.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price objective on Macy’s from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $22.78.

Macy’s Company Profile

Macy’s, Inc is an American omnichannel retailer that sells a broad range of merchandise through department stores, specialty stores and digital platforms. Its product offerings include apparel, accessories, beauty products, home furnishings, jewelry, furniture and other consumer goods.

The company operates through several well-known retail banners, including Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury. Macy’s serves customers primarily in the United States through its stores and e-commerce websites, while Bloomingdale’s offers fashion, accessories, beauty and home merchandise through department stores, outlets and digital channels.