Is it Wise to Retain Macerich Stock in Your Portfolio Now?

The Macerich Company MAC is well-poised to gain from its portfolio of premium shopping centers in vibrant markets. Its focus on omnichannel retailing and developing mixed-use assets is likely to support its long-term growth.However, growing e-commerce adoption by consumers raises concerns for this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company. Macerich also has a substantially leveraged balance sheet, and this remains a headwind.What’s Aiding MAC?Macerich owns a large portfolio of premium malls situated in vibrant U.S. markets. These properties are found in densely populated areas, where affluent consumers have strong purchasing power, enabling the company to generate stable cash flows. Macerich’s decent number of well-capitalized retailers in its tenant roster and well-laddered lease maturity schedule help it navigate well through challenging times. We expect the company’s total revenues to increase by 12.7% in 2025.Macerich has been making efforts to enhance its asset quality and customer relationships by increasing the adoption of the omni-channel model. This is going to play well for the company. Further, the shift toward re-use and mixed-use properties through recapturing and repositioning of anchor tenants remains a key emphasis. Bringing brands to new markets at its mall is also likely to attract shoppers.Macerich has been focusing on an aggressive capital-recycling program. This involves the divestiture of non-core and slower-growth assets and the usage of the proceeds to increase its presence in core markets and invest in higher-growth properties through acquisitions, developments and redevelopment initiatives and lower its leverage.In August 2025, it closed on the sale of Lakewood Center for $332 million. In the same month, the company closed on the sale of Valley Mall for $22 million. In July 2025, the company’s JV closed on the sale of Atlas Park for $72 million. In June 2025, Macerich acquired Crabtree Mall, a Class A retail center spanning roughly 1.3 million square feet in Raleigh, NC, for $290 million.Macerich is redeveloping the northeast quadrant of Green Acres Mall, a 2.1 million square foot regional retail center in Valley Stream, NY, anticipated to open in 2026.Over the past six months, the company's shares have gained 11.3% against the industry's 3.8% decline. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research What’s Hurting MAC?While mall traffic has recovered considerably since the pandemic, the convenience of online shopping continues to make it the preferred choice for many customers. As a result, brick and mortar stores have experienced a decline in their market share.Macerich’s performance in the upcoming quarters is expected to be negatively impacted by the bankruptcy of Forever 21 (filed in the first quarter of 2025), Express (in 2024) and others. From the beginning of the year through Nov. 5, 2025, the company witnessed seven bankruptcy filings from its tenants, including the bankruptcies of Forever 21 and Claire's.Macerich has a substantially leveraged balance sheet. As of Sept. 30, 2025, its total pro-rata share of debt was approximately $6.60 billion and net debt to adjusted EBITDA was 7.76X. This leveraged balance sheet limits its ability to withstand any credit crisis and unexpected negative externalities in the future. With a high level of debt, interest expenses are likely to remain elevated. In the third quarter of 2025, interest expenses grew 27.3% year over year to $72.7 million. We estimate 2025 interest expenses to grow 32.8% year over year.Stocks to ConsiderSome better-ranked stocks from the retail REIT sector are Philips Edison & Company PECO and EPR Properties EPR, each currently carrying a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PECO’s 2025 FFO per share has moved a cent northward to $2.58 over the past two months.The consensus estimate for EPR’s 2025 FFO per share has moved 3 cents upward to $5.10 over the past month.Note: Anything related to earnings presented in this write-up represents FFO, a widely used metric to gauge the performance of REITs.Zacks Naming Top 10 Stocks for 2026Want to be tipped off early to our 10 top picks for the entirety of 2026? History suggests their performance could be sensational.From 2012 (when our Director of Research Sheraz Mian assumed responsibility for the portfolio) through November, 2025, the Zacks Top 10 Stocks gained +2,530.8%, more than QUADRUPLING the S&P 500’s +570.3%.Now Sheraz is combing through 4,400 companies to handpick the best 10 tickers to buy and hold in 2026. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these stocks when they’re released on January 5. Be First to New Top 10 Stocks >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Macerich Company (The) (MAC): Free Stock Analysis Report EPR Properties (EPR): Free Stock Analysis Report Phillips Edison & Company, Inc. (PECO): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks