Macy's (M) Up 5.5% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?

Core Insights - Macy's shares have increased by approximately 5.5% since the last earnings report, outperforming the S&P 500 [1][2] Financial Performance - Macy's reported Q2 fiscal 2025 adjusted earnings of $0.41 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.19, but down 22.6% from $0.53 in the previous year [3] - Net sales reached $4,812 million, surpassing the consensus estimate of $4,718 million, although this represents a 2.5% decline from the same quarter last year [4] - Comparable sales increased by 0.8% on an owned basis and 1.9% on an owned-plus-licensed-plus-marketplace basis year-over-year [4] - Net credit card revenues were $153 million, up 22.4% year-over-year, accounting for 3.2% of sales, an increase of 70 basis points from the previous year [5] Brand Performance - Macy's brand comps rose 0.4% year-over-year on an owned basis, while Bloomingdale's saw a 3.6% increase on an owned basis, marking its fourth consecutive quarter of growth [6] - Bluemercury brand comps increased by 1.2% on an owned basis, achieving its 18th consecutive quarter of growth [6] Margins and Expenses - The gross margin for Q2 was 39.7%, down 80 basis points from the previous year due to markdowns and prior tariff impacts [7] - Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses totaled $1.94 billion, a decrease of 1.5% year-over-year, but SG&A as a percentage of total revenues increased to 38.9% [8] EBITDA and Cash Flow - Adjusted EBITDA was reported at $393 million, down 10.3% from $438 million in the prior year, with an adjusted EBITDA margin of 7.9% [9] - The company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $829 million and long-term debt of $2.43 billion [10] Guidance and Outlook - Macy's updated its FY25 guidance, projecting net sales between $21.15 billion and $21.45 billion, an increase from the previous range of $21 billion to $21.4 billion [11] - Comparable owned-plus-licensed-plus-marketplace sales are expected to decline by 1.5% to 0.5% year-over-year, with adjusted earnings per share projected between $1.70 and $2.05 [12] Market Sentiment - Since the earnings release, there has been a 26.89% upward shift in consensus estimates, indicating positive market sentiment [13] - Macy's holds a Zacks Rank 1 (Strong Buy), suggesting expectations for above-average returns in the coming months [15] Industry Context - Macy's operates within the Zacks Retail - Regional Department Stores industry, where competitor Kohl's reported a revenue decline of 5% in its last quarter [16]