New York, May 18, 2026, 09:07 EDT
- Macy’s shares moved up in premarket trade after Berkshire Hathaway revealed a new position in the retailer.
- The retailer on Monday said it plans to report first-quarter results June 3.
- The move draws new focus to Macy’s turnaround. Tariffs, fuel prices and soft discretionary spending are still risks.
Macy’s stock looked set to open higher Monday after Berkshire Hathaway revealed a new position in the company. The department-store stock had been down for the year until the filing.
Timing is key here. The New York Stock Exchange’s main session is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, but this move happened in premarket trading. Premarket has lighter volume and bigger price swings than regular hours.
Berkshire reported in a Friday filing that it held 3.04 million Macy’s shares as of March 31, spread over two lines and worth about $55 million. The 13F is a quarterly disclosure to the Securities and Exchange Commission from big investment managers, listing their U.S. stock holdings.
Macy’s shares ended Friday at $18.41, up 0.55%. The retailer’s market cap is roughly $4.9 billion. Premarket quotes on Investing.com had the stock at $18.99, with 128,170 shares changing hands before the open.
Macy’s jumped 6.3% in after-hours trading Friday after Reuters said Berkshire disclosed a new stake. The filing also showed Berkshire picked up Delta Air Lines and increased its holding in Alphabet, while dropping positions in Amazon, UnitedHealth, Visa and Mastercard. Macy’s buy came as part of a broader shake-up at Berkshire under CEO Greg Abel.
Macy’s set a first-quarter earnings date for June 3, telling investors Monday it will hold a call at 8 a.m. ET. Chairman and CEO Tony Spring and Chief Operating Officer and CFO Tom Edwards will lead the discussion.
The Berkshire holding is minor for the Omaha group. Still, Berkshire’s picks tend to get watched, since filings catch attention—especially when Berkshire takes on a struggling consumer stock with property, cash, and a possible comeback.
Macy’s is pushing that message. The company said in March that fourth-quarter comparable sales were up 1.8%. Comparable sales track sales at stores open at least a year and digital, cutting out changes from new or closed stores. Bloomingdale’s saw a 9.9% jump in comparable sales. Bluemercury was up 1.3%.
Macy’s CEO Spring said at the time that the company was seeing “growth and progress” with its Bold New Chapter plan, pointing to more relevant brands and customer service. Macy’s also said it would roll out its revamped-store program to 200 stores in 2026. Macy’s, Inc.
Macy’s outlook looks weak. The retailer said it sees fiscal 2026 net sales between $21.4 billion and $21.65 billion, lower than the $21.8 billion it expects in fiscal 2025. Adjusted diluted earnings per share is expected at $1.90 to $2.10, falling short of last year’s $2.15. Earnings per share is profit divided by shares outstanding.
Spring told the Associated Press in March there was “more unknown than there is known,” pointing to tariffs, energy costs and the Iran conflict. If those issues cut into shopper demand or push shipping and product costs higher, the Berkshire-driven bounce seen Monday might not hold through the June earnings report. AP News
The pressure is broad across retail. Reuters reported Walmart and Kohl’s have also kept guidance cautious, pointing out Macy’s isn’t alone as tariffs, soft traffic, and heavy promotions drag on results.
Macy’s named a new investor to its shareholder list and kept its dividend steady, declaring a 19.15-cent payout for the quarter on Friday. The dividend goes to holders of record June 15, and is payable July 1. The market is likely focused instead on first-quarter sales numbers due soon, with the key question still whether Bloomingdale’s and revamped Macy’s can keep offsetting weaker discretionary demand.
