NIKE’s (NKE) “Buy” Rating Reaffirmed at Guggenheim

Guggenheim reissued their buy rating on shares of NIKE (NYSE:NKE) in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. Guggenheim currently has a $77.00 price target on the footwear maker’s stock.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on NKE. KeyCorp set a $90.00 price objective on NIKE and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 2nd. Telsey Advisory Group cut their target price on shares of NIKE from $75.00 to $72.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Sanford C. Bernstein set a $85.00 price target on shares of NIKE and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company set a $65.00 price target on shares of NIKE and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised shares of NIKE from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, September 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $78.14.

NIKE Stock Performance

NIKE stock opened at $58.80 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $65.05 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $69.40. The company has a quick ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 2.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. NIKE has a twelve month low of $52.28 and a twelve month high of $82.44. The company has a market capitalization of $86.91 billion, a PE ratio of 34.59, a P/E/G ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.29.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 18th. The footwear maker reported $0.53 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.16. NIKE had a return on equity of 18.61% and a net margin of 5.43%.The firm had revenue of $12.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.78 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that NIKE will post 2.05 EPS for the current year.

NIKE Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st will be given a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, December 1st. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. This is a positive change from NIKE’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. NIKE’s dividend payout ratio is 84.10%.

Insider Activity at NIKE

In related news, Chairman Mark G. Parker sold 86,078 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.80, for a total transaction of $5,577,854.40. Following the transaction, the chairman owned 647,615 shares in the company, valued at $41,965,452. The trade was a 11.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Jorgen Vig Knudstorp acquired 16,150 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, November 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $62.09 per share, with a total value of $1,002,753.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 21,388 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,327,980.92. This trade represents a 308.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 0.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NIKE

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in NIKE during the second quarter valued at $26,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of NIKE by 952.6% in the 2nd quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 400 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $28,000 after acquiring an additional 362 shares in the last quarter. Saudi Central Bank purchased a new position in NIKE during the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Matrix Trust Co boosted its stake in NIKE by 53.1% during the second quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 441 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $31,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in NIKE in the second quarter worth about $31,000. 64.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

More NIKE News

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 beat on top and bottom line — Nike reported $12.4B in revenue and $0.53 EPS, both ahead of expectations, showing resilience in demand overall. Nike Beats on Earnings But Struggles in China and Faces Tariffs
• Positive Sentiment: North America strength and product wins — North American sales rose ~9% and running category grew ~20%, supporting the turnaround thesis for key categories. Nike’s China conundrum deepens
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst mix — Some firms reaffirm buys (Guggenheim, Needham/Buys remain) while others cut price targets or mark to market; Berenberg reiterated neutral with a $70 PT. This leaves Street views mixed but not uniformly bearish. MarketScreener Latest Ratings
• Negative Sentiment: Tariff and margin pressure — Gross margin fell ~300 bps (to ~40.6%) and management flagged substantial tariff headwinds (reported ~$1.5B FY impact) and guidance for further margin contraction next quarter. Nike Plunges 11% As Tariffs, China Woes Cloud Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: China slump — Greater China sales plunged (~16–20% reported across outlets), with Chinese DTC digital revenue down sharply, raising concerns that Nike’s China playbook isn’t yet working. Nike is struggling to stay culturally relevant in China
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and investor reaction — Management guided to low‑single‑digit revenue declines next quarter and warned of margin headwinds; markets focused on that guidance and tariffs, driving heavy selling and large intraday volume. Nike says turnaround plans are ‘in the middle innings’

NIKE Company Profile

Nike, Inc (NYSE: NKE) is a global designer, marketer and distributor of athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories. Founded in 1964 as Blue Ribbon Sports by Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman and renamed Nike in 1971, the company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon. Nike develops and commercializes products across performance and lifestyle categories for sports including running, basketball, soccer and training, and is known for signature technologies and design-driven product lines.

The company markets products under several primary brands, including Nike, Jordan and Converse, and sells through a combination of wholesale relationships, branded retail stores and direct-to-consumer channels such as company-operated stores and digital platforms (e.g., Nike.com and mobile apps).