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

Macy’s, Inc. (NYSE:M) was the recipient of some unusual options trading on Thursday. Investors bought 18,079 put options on the company. This represents an increase of approximately 62% compared to the typical daily volume of 11,153 put options.

Macy’s Trading Down 1.2%

Shares of M traded down $0.27 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $22.55. The stock had a trading volume of 3,168,116 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,394,890. Macy’s has a 12-month low of $13.09 and a 12-month high of $26.58. The firm has a market cap of $5.93 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.28 and a beta of 1.47. 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 company’s fifty day simple moving average is $23.99 and its 200 day simple moving average is $21.40.

Macy’s (NYSE:M) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, June 3rd. The company reported $0.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.02 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $4.89 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.61 billion. Macy’s had a return on equity of 13.68% and a net margin of 2.94%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.16 earnings per share. Macy’s has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.290-0.340 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 2.000-2.200 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Macy’s will post 2.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

M has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Macy’s from $21.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. UBS Group increased their target price on Macy’s from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Telsey Advisory Group raised their price target on Macy’s from $20.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Macy’s from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Evercore set a $22.00 price objective on shares of Macy’s in a report on Thursday, June 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Macy’s has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $22.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Macy’s news, SVP Paul Griscom sold 10,077 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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. This trade represents a 28.43% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Thomas Jr. Edwards sold 16,419 shares of the business’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 directly owned 20,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $497,800. This represents a 45.08% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders own 1.05% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Macy’s in the fourth quarter worth about $3,524,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in shares of Macy’s by 23.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 978,206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $17,696,000 after buying an additional 185,678 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Macy’s by 540.1% during the 4th quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 125,154 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,760,000 after acquiring an additional 105,601 shares in the last quarter. Artemis Investment Management LLP purchased a new position in Macy’s in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,752,000. Finally, Amundi boosted its holdings in Macy’s by 375.7% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 230,041 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,161,000 after acquiring an additional 181,684 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.36% of the company’s stock.

About Macy’s

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.