Here's Why Macy's (M) Stock is Plummeting, Down 14% Today
NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Macy's (M) - Get Report stock is plummeting 14.36% to $40.27 on Wednesday afternoon following the retailer's third quarter 2015 earnings results and a weak earnings forecast, sending shock waves through the retail sector.
Even though earnings came in at 56 cents a share, beating analysts' estimates of 53 cents a share, the company's sales of $5.87 billion fell short of estimates of $6.09 billion.
On top of these grim revenue numbers, quarterly sales slumped 5.2% year-over-year, with same-store sales declining 3.9%.
The company said that foot traffic in its stores was weak due to the unseasonably warm weather, keeping shoppers away from buying sweaters or coats.
Additionally, the strong dollar negatively impacted sales.
"The retail industry is going through a tough period," CEO Terry Lundgren stated.
Macy's also cut its full year earnings projections. It now expects to earn between the range of $4.20 to $4.30 a share, down from its previous forecast of $4.70 to $4.80 a share.
Looking ahead, the company will focus on ramping up expansion plans for its off-price store format, Macy's Backstage, which it launched in the fall, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Following Macy's earnings report, financial services firm Cowen said that this data is bad news for other retailers and companies such as Kohl's (KSS), Urban Outfitters (URBN), Michael Kors (KORS), and Tiffany (TIF), according to Barron's.com.
Separately, TheStreet Ratings team rates MACY'S INC as a Buy with a ratings score of B. TheStreet Ratings Team has this to say about their recommendation:
We rate MACY'S INC (M) a BUY. This is driven by a few notable strengths, which we believe should have a greater impact than any weaknesses, and should give investors a better performance opportunity than most stocks we cover. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its notable return on equity and expanding profit margins. We feel its strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income.
Highlights from the analysis by TheStreet Ratings Team goes as follows:
- The return on equity has improved slightly when compared to the same quarter one year prior. This can be construed as a modest strength in the organization. When compared to other companies in the Multiline Retail industry and the overall market, MACY'S INC's return on equity exceeds that of the industry average and significantly exceeds that of the S&P 500.
- MACY'S INC's earnings per share declined by 20.0% in the most recent quarter compared to the same quarter a year ago. This company has reported somewhat volatile earnings recently. But, we feel it is poised for EPS growth in the coming year. During the past fiscal year, MACY'S INC increased its bottom line by earning $4.27 versus $3.90 in the prior year. This year, the market expects an improvement in earnings ($4.65 versus $4.27).
- 40.86% is the gross profit margin for MACY'S INC which we consider to be strong. Regardless of M's high profit margin, it has managed to decrease from the same period last year. Despite the mixed results of the gross profit margin, the net profit margin of 3.55% trails the industry average.
- M, with its decline in revenue, underperformed when compared the industry average of 7.4%. Since the same quarter one year prior, revenues slightly dropped by 2.6%. Weakness in the company's revenue seems to have hurt the bottom line, decreasing earnings per share.
- Reflecting the weaknesses we have cited, including the decline in the company's earnings per share, M has underperformed the S&P 500 Index, declining 11.81% from its price level of one year ago. Looking ahead, although the push and pull of the overall market trend could certainly make a critical difference, we do not see any strong reason stemming from the company's fundamentals that would cause a continuation of last year's decline. In fact, the stock is now selling for less than others in its industry in relation to its current earnings.
- You can view the full analysis from the report here: M