NIKE (NYSE:NKE) Stock Price Up 3.1% – Here’s Why
by Kim Johansen · The Markets DailyNIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE – Get Free Report)’s stock price rose 3.1% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $65.74 and last traded at $65.21. Approximately 21,432,763 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 2% from the average daily volume of 21,088,459 shares. The stock had previously closed at $63.22.
Trending Headlines about NIKE
Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Insider buying and high-profile bullish commentary — Directors and the CEO have recently bought shares, and Jim Cramer highlighted that insider purchases as a signal the turnaround may be gaining traction; insider purchases often boost investor confidence in near-term upside. Jim Cramer Says Insider Buying in Nike Signals “That the Business Is Indeed Turning”
- Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a Buy rating — A retained Buy from a major firm supports the turnaround narrative and can help underpin valuation expectations ahead of upcoming quarters. Sanford C. Bernstein Reaffirms “Buy” Rating for NIKE (NYSE:NKE)
- Neutral Sentiment: Relative-value pieces and “buy the dip” coverage — Several outlets (Zacks, MarketBeat) compare NKE vs. Adidas and discuss whether Nike is a dip-buy; useful for positioning but not immediate catalysts. ADDYY or NKE: Which Is the Better Value Stock Right Now?
- Neutral Sentiment: New coverage and model chatter — Deutsche Bank initiated coverage with a Hold and various media pieces (including a ChatGPT price projection) add noise but little fundamental clarity; these items can influence short-term flows.
- Negative Sentiment: Analyst skepticism on turnaround timing — Needham flagged that early “brand heat” may not translate quickly into sustainable growth, emphasizing uncertainty around the timeline for recovery. That raises risk around near-term execution. Nike ‘Brand Heat’ Not Enough, Analyst Says: ‘Timeline Is Uncertain At Best’
- Negative Sentiment: Downgrades and China concerns — TipRanks reported a downgrade citing slow turnaround progress and China weakness remains a recurring headwind; RBC cut its price target while saying profitable growth is possible, and another bank issued pessimistic forecasts — these weigh on medium-term upside and multiple expansion. Nike Stock (NKE) Is Downgraded on Slow Turnaround Progress RBC lowers Nike (NKE) target but sees path to profitable growth intact Royal Bank Of Canada Issues Pessimistic Forecast for NIKE (NYSE:NKE) Stock Price
Analyst Ratings Changes
A number of research firms have recently weighed in on NKE. Weiss Ratings downgraded NIKE from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $65.00 price objective on NIKE and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Williams Trading cut their target price on shares of NIKE from $100.00 to $80.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of NIKE from $93.00 to $85.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of NIKE in a report on Friday, December 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $75.32.
View Our Latest Analysis on NKE
NIKE Stock Up 0.9%
The company has a market capitalization of $97.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.74, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $63.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $69.45.
NIKE (NYSE:NKE – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 18th. The footwear maker reported $0.53 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.16. NIKE had a return on equity of 18.43% and a net margin of 5.43%.The business had revenue of $12.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.78 EPS. NIKE’s revenue for the quarter was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that NIKE, Inc. will post 2.05 EPS for the current fiscal year.
NIKE Increases Dividend
The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a dividend of $0.41 per share. This is a positive change from NIKE’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.5%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. NIKE’s payout ratio is currently 96.47%.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, Director Jorgen Vig Knudstorp bought 16,150 shares of NIKE stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $62.09 per share, with a total value of $1,002,753.50. Following the purchase, the director owned 21,388 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,327,980.92. This trade represents a 308.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Elliott Hill purchased 16,388 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 29th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $61.10 per share, for a total transaction of $1,001,306.80. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 241,587 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,760,965.70. This trade represents a 7.28% increase in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders purchased a total of 91,229 shares of company stock worth $5,452,640 in the last ninety days. 0.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On NIKE
Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NKE. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NIKE in the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC grew its holdings 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 valued at $28,000 after acquiring an additional 362 shares in the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co increased its position in shares of NIKE by 53.1% in the second quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 441 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in NIKE during the second quarter worth about $31,000. Finally, Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new position in NIKE during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors own 64.25% of the company’s stock.
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).