NIKE, Inc. $NKE Shares Bought by Plato Investment Management Ltd

Plato Investment Management Ltd boosted its stake in shares of NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) by 38.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 46,781 shares of the footwear maker’s stock after acquiring an additional 13,112 shares during the period. Plato Investment Management Ltd’s holdings in NIKE were worth $2,995,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new position in NIKE during the third quarter worth $34,000. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of NIKE in the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of NIKE by 268.6% in the third quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 516 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 376 shares during the last quarter. Matrix Trust Co raised its position in shares of NIKE by 43.6% in the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 596 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 181 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NIKE in the fourth quarter valued at about $40,000. 64.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NIKE Trading Down 0.7%

Shares of NKE opened at $44.10 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. NIKE, Inc. has a 12-month low of $42.09 and a 12-month high of $80.17. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $50.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $59.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.31 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.21, a P/E/G ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.12.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The footwear maker reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.06. NIKE had a net margin of 4.84% and a return on equity of 16.41%. The firm had revenue of $11.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.23 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.54 earnings per share. NIKE’s quarterly revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that NIKE, Inc. will post 1.51 EPS for the current year.

NIKE Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. NIKE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 108.61%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently commented on NKE. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of NIKE from $110.00 to $90.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Telsey Advisory Group reduced their target price on shares of NIKE from $65.00 to $55.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. HSBC cut shares of NIKE from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $90.00 to $48.00 in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Berenberg Bank reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of NIKE in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of NIKE in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Sixteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $62.04.

NIKE News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo downgraded NIKE to Equal Weight from Overweight and cut its price target to $45 from $55, saying a GLP-1-driven shift in consumer behavior could become a new headwind for athletic wear demand. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters reported that bets against NIKE have surged, adding to pressure on CEO Elliott Hill to stabilize performance and restore investor confidence. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: NIKE is also facing ongoing scrutiny over weak earnings, revenue pressure, and restructuring costs as it moves ahead with nearly 1,400 job cuts tied to its “Win Now” overhaul. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: NIKE’s board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share, which supports the company’s shareholder-return story but does not offset the broader concerns around growth and execution. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles note increased investor attention and valuation-reset chatter, but these appear to be more reflective of market interest than a clear fundamental catalyst. Article Title

Insider Activity at NIKE

In related news, Director John W. Rogers, Jr. bought 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 9th. The stock was bought at an average price of $43.34 per share, with a total value of $173,360.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 41,022 shares in the company, valued at $1,777,893.48. This represents a 10.80% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Elliott Hill bought 23,660 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 13th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $42.27 per share, with a total value of $1,000,108.20. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 265,247 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,211,990.69. This trade represents a 9.79% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders purchased 64,441 shares of company stock worth $2,734,204. 0.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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).