NIKE’s (NKE) “Neutral” Rating Reiterated at Barclays

Barclays reiterated their neutral rating on shares of NIKE (NYSE:NKE) in a report published on Thursday morning,MarketScreener reports.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on NKE. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of NIKE from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research report on Monday, January 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of NIKE in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $65.00 target price on NIKE and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Telsey Advisory Group reduced their price target on NIKE from $75.00 to $72.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, DZ Bank reissued a “buy” rating on shares of NIKE in a report on Friday, December 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have given a Buy rating, twelve have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $75.13.

NIKE Trading Down 0.3%

NIKE stock opened at $64.39 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $63.80 and a 200 day moving average price of $69.41. The company has a market capitalization of $95.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 1.28. NIKE has a 52 week low of $52.28 and a 52 week high of $82.44. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The footwear maker reported $0.53 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.16. NIKE had a net margin of 5.43% and a return on equity of 18.43%. The company had revenue of $12.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.19 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.78 EPS. NIKE’s quarterly revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that NIKE will post 2.05 EPS for the current year.

NIKE Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. This is an increase from NIKE’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. NIKE’s dividend payout ratio is 96.47%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Timothy D. Cook acquired 50,000 shares of NIKE stock in a transaction on Monday, December 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $58.97 per share, for a total transaction of $2,948,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 105,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,220,155.60. The trade was a 90.12% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Robert Holmes Swan acquired 8,691 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 22nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $57.54 per share, for a total transaction of $500,080.14. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 43,293 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,491,079.22. This represents a 25.12% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have bought 91,229 shares of company stock worth $5,452,640 in the last 90 days. 0.80% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of NIKE

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of NIKE by 388.5% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 202,411 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $15,316,000 after buying an additional 160,980 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP purchased a new stake in shares of NIKE in the first quarter valued at approximately $311,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of NIKE in the second quarter valued at approximately $223,000. Breakwater Capital Group lifted its position in NIKE by 4.8% during the second quarter. Breakwater Capital Group now owns 3,873 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $275,000 after buying an additional 177 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Focus Financial Network Inc. acquired a new position in NIKE during the second quarter worth $416,000. 64.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key NIKE News

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reaffirmed its Buy rating on Nike, supporting upside sentiment among growth-focused investors. Wells Fargo Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Nike (NKE)
• Positive Sentiment: Loop Industries named Nike as an anchor customer for its projects, a vote of confidence that could support sustainability-related supply‑chain initiatives (positive for brand/ESG positioning). Loop Industries Advances India and Europe Projects, Names Nike Anchor Customer and Appoints New CFO
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays reiterated a Neutral rating, signaling caution from some institutional analysts even as opinions vary across the street. Nike Inc. gets a Neutral rating from Barclays
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks highlighted investor attention on Nike, summarizing drivers to watch (analyst revisions, macro/consumer trends), which can increase short‑term trading activity. NIKE, Inc. (NKE) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Media pieces are debating whether Nike is reasonably priced or still expensive, keeping valuation conversations active among investors. Nike stock: Reasonably priced or still too expensive?
• Negative Sentiment: Follow-up coverage from The Motley Fool flags weak revenue growth, tariffs and promotional activity in China that are pressuring margins and near‑term results — a reminder of execution risk even as Nike pursues a turnaround. Is Nike a Buy-and-Hold-Forever Stock for Consumer Goods Investors?

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).