No less than six analysts lifted their price targets
The shares of department store staple Macy's Inc (NYSE:M) are extending yesterday's post-earnings pop as the stock rakes in a bevy of bull notes. Analysts are responding to the firm's raised full-year revenue forecast, as well as top- and bottom-line beats for its second quarter. No less than six analysts lifted their price targets, including J.P. Morgan Securities, which also lifted its rating on the stock to "neutral" from "underweight."
There's room for more upgrades, too. The 12-month consensus price target of $21.42 is a 0.9% discount to last night's close, and heading into today, just one of the seven analysts in coverage called M a "strong buy," with the other six a "hold" or worse.
Options traders have been more bearish than usual as well. At the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), Macy's 10-day put/call volume ratio stands higher than 95% of readings from the past 12 months.
An unwinding of some of this pessimism already looks to be underway, with a definite preference for calls. So far 489,000 calls and 182,000 puts have exchanged hands, which is 11 times the intraday average. The most popular position is the September 21 call, followed by the August 20 call, which expires later today. Positions are being opened at both contracts.
Macy's stock was last seen up 3% at $22.26, and hit a fresh two-year high right out of the gate. The security enjoyed a 19.6% pop during yesterday's trading, snapping a five-day losing streak and marking its biggest one-day jump since May 2020. Further down the charts, the security's 30-day moving average helped provide a springboard for the equity, and could serve as support going forward. M now sports a year-to-date lead of 92%.