Macy’s posts strong results, raises guidance as turnaround begins to take hold

by | Oct 5, 2026 | Stock Market

Macy's posts strong results, raises guidance as turnaround begins to take hold

Macy’s reported positive results for its fiscal second quarter on Thursday, demonstrating progress in its ongoing transformation efforts. The company achieved overall comparable sales growth of 2.7%, with its core Macy’s nameplate registering a 1.1% increase. The retailer attributed much of this performance to its reimagined store locations, which have been central to its strategic overhaul.

The company’s higher-end banners performed particularly well during the period. Bloomingdale’s saw comparable sales increase 11.3%, while beauty-focused subsidiary Bluemercury posted a 6.2% rise. CEO Tony Spring emphasized that the company has transformed into a healthier operation through innovations including improved merchandise assortments, enhanced customer service, and better in-store displays at its revamped locations.

Macy’s elevated its financial outlook for the full year based on the stronger-than-expected quarterly performance. The company now projects net sales between $21.68 billion and $21.83 billion, up from prior guidance of $21.5 billion to $21.75 billion. The comparable sales outlook was also increased to a range of 1% to 1.5% growth, compared with the previous 0.5% to 1.2% range. Earnings per share guidance was raised to $2.15 to $2.35 from $2 to $2.20, with approximately 5 cents per share attributed to tariff refunds.

The company has secured $116 million in tariff refunds and intends to deploy roughly $96 million toward long-term customer experience improvements rather than temporary pricing initiatives. Spring noted the company is reserving a portion of the remaining funds due to uncertainty regarding fuel costs. During the quarter, net income reached $169 million, or 62 cents per share, compared with $87 million, or 31 cents per share, in the year-ago period. Sales increased modestly to approximately $4.87 billion from $4.81 billion.

Despite the positive earnings results and guidance raise, Macy’s share price declined nearly 5% on Thursday. Spring indicated the company continues to navigate a bifurcated consumer environment, positioning itself to serve both higher-income customers seeking fashion accessibility and lower-income shoppers seeking value options. The results represent progress in the company’s three-year turnaround initiative aimed at revitalizing performance amid broader industry headwinds.

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