New York, May 16, 2026, 09:05 EDT
Macy’s, Inc. shares will start the next U.S. session coming off a boost from Berkshire Hathaway. The conglomerate revealed a new position in the department store name late Friday. The stock finished normal trading at $18.41, up 0.55%. The New York Stock Exchange closed for the weekend.
That’s important with the regular-session tape still looking soft. Macy’s dropped roughly 5.5% on the week off its May 8 close at $19.48, losing 4.1% on Monday before clawing back a bit with a minor rebound Friday.
Berkshire’s latest filing pushed traders to take another look at the stock. The Form 13F, required every quarter, landed May 15 and showed Berkshire held 3,038,355 Macy’s shares as of March 31, worth close to $55 million. The disclosure included two separate Macy’s positions.
Berkshire’s Macy’s stake is minor, but the stock jumped 6.3% after hours on the news, Reuters said. Berkshire also reported boosting its Delta Air Lines holding and made other portfolio moves following Greg Abel’s takeover as CEO from Warren Buffett.
Macy’s is pushing its plan to focus on fewer, better stores while putting more cash behind stronger stores, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury. The company needs investors on board. In March, Macy’s reported fourth-quarter comparable sales up 1.8%. Bloomingdale’s same-store sales rose 9.9%. Comparable sales include established stores and online, excluding new store openings and closures.
Macy’s cut its guidance for fiscal 2026. The company now sees net sales between $21.4 billion and $21.65 billion, which is lower than the $21.8 billion Macy’s expects in fiscal 2025. Management pegged comparable sales growth between down 0.5% and up 0.5%. Adjusted diluted EPS is forecast at $1.90 to $2.10, also down from $2.15 for fiscal 2025.
Macy’s CEO Tony Spring is cautious. In March, he told the Associated Press, “there’s more unknown than there is known,” and added the company needs to “lean into what we can control.” KSAT
Mixed picture for competitors. Bloomingdale’s picked up share in the fourth quarter while Saks Global handled bankruptcy, according to Retail Dive. Macy’s luxury brand got that boost, but the department-store and discretionary retail market is still tough.
Macy’s still faces risks going into Monday. A Berkshire stake won’t fix slow mall traffic, tariffs, consumer caution or too many promotions. Dana Telsey at Telsey Advisory Group said in a note that “rightsizing the store base should improve long-term profitability,” but macro pressures, tariffs and soft traffic keep near-term sales and profit growth capped. Dallas News
Other big retailers aren’t sounding bullish. In March, Reuters said Walmart and Kohl’s were both cautious with their guidance. Analysts at Telsey warned about macro pressure, soft traffic, tariff uncertainty, and heavier promotions putting pressure on results in the near term.
Premarket volume needs a look before the next session, as traders watch if Berkshire news is enough to hold buyers past the open. Also keep an eye on SPDR S&P Retail ETF—a retail ETF that dropped to $79.09 from $80.38 on Friday.
Macy’s is set for a stronger start Monday unless the broader market falls. But the real level to watch isn’t just the open. If shares get back above and hold Friday’s close around $19.48, the Berkshire move may start to unwind recent losses. Failure to hold that spot and the bounce risks looking like a headline-driven pop instead of a shift in trend.
