NIKE (NYSE:NKE) Earns “Buy” Rating from BTIG Research

NIKE (NYSE:NKE)‘s stock had its “buy” rating restated by analysts at BTIG Research in a report released on Thursday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have a $50.00 price target on the footwear maker’s stock. BTIG Research‘s price target points to a potential upside of 30.56% from the company’s current price.

NKE has been the subject of several other research reports. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of NIKE from $39.00 to $32.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Rothschild & Co Redburn dropped their price objective on shares of NIKE from $45.00 to $37.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 price target (down from $60.00) on shares of NIKE in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. CICC Research reduced their price target on NIKE from $58.00 to $44.80 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, Evercore reduced their price target on NIKE from $46.00 to $28.00 in a research report on Monday, September 28th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seven have assigned a Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Hold rating and eleven have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $40.93.

NIKE Trading Up 2.0%

NIKE stock traded up $0.77 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $38.30. The stock had a trading volume of 17,973,319 shares, compared to its average volume of 24,725,547. NIKE has a twelve month low of $31.97 and a twelve month high of $70.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $56.88 billion, a PE ratio of 18.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.44 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 2.07. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $37.25 and its 200 day simple moving average is $41.35.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 1st. The footwear maker reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.05. NIKE had a net margin of 6.74% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The company had revenue of $11.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.32 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.49 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 4.3% compared to the same quarter last year. NIKE has set its FY 2027 guidance at 1.150-1.350 EPS. Analysts expect that NIKE will post 1.22 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at NIKE

In related news, insider Amy Montagne sold 4,867 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.05, for a total value of $204,657.35. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 57,436 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,415,183.80. This represents a 7.81% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Philip McCartney sold 2,559 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.59, for a total transaction of $96,192.81. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 78,121 shares in the company, valued at $2,936,568.39. This represents a 3.17% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 14,974 shares of company stock valued at $600,126. Insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in NIKE during the first quarter worth about $25,000. Reyes Financial Architecture Inc. acquired a new stake in NIKE in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. increased its position in NIKE by 108.4% in the 1st quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 548 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares during the period. Atlas Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in NIKE in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. acquired a new stake in NIKE in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.25% of the company’s stock.

Key NIKE News

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target to $45 and said NIKE shares appear “near bottom,” suggesting that much of the company’s recent weakness may already be reflected in the stock. Barclays raises NIKE price target
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG reaffirmed a Buy rating and a $50 price target, implying substantial potential upside and providing support for the stock’s recovery narrative. BTIG rating and price target
• Positive Sentiment: Argus Research also initiated or maintained a Buy view, while recent commentary highlights NIKE’s valuable brand portfolio and efforts to rebuild wholesale relationships. Argus Research Buy rating
• Positive Sentiment: NIKE’s nearly 25-year dividend-growth record and roughly 4.4% forward yield may attract income-oriented investors, although the dividend’s sustainability depends on a successful turnaround. NIKE dividend analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst estimates for NIKE’s upcoming quarterly earnings and an average broker price target near $41 indicate measured optimism, but expectations remain sensitive to evidence that sales are stabilizing. NIKE earnings forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Digital sales have slowed, direct-to-consumer performance in Greater China remains weak, and marketplace restructuring is creating near-term pressure on growth and margins. NIKE digital sales slowdown
• Negative Sentiment: Restructuring and layoffs add execution risk, while stagnant sales and the absence of clear turnaround proof remain key reasons some analysts continue to view NIKE cautiously. NIKE restructuring and layoffs

About NIKE

NIKE, Inc is a global athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories company headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon. The company designs, develops, markets and sells products under the Nike, Jordan and Converse brands, serving athletes and consumers across a broad range of sports and lifestyle categories.

NIKE’s product portfolio includes athletic and casual footwear, performance and lifestyle apparel, sports equipment, accessories and digital fitness-related offerings. The company distributes its products through company-owned retail stores, digital platforms and wholesale partners, while also operating direct-to-consumer and membership programs.

The company traces its origins to 1964, when Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman founded Blue Ribbon Sports.