NIKE’s (NKE) “Outperform” Rating Reiterated at Royal Bank Of Canada

Posted by Defense World Staff on Mar 8th, 2026

Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated their outperform rating on shares of NIKE (NYSE:NKE – Free Report) in a report issued on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $78.00 price objective on the footwear maker’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently issued reports on NKE. Needham & Company LLC cut NIKE from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Guggenheim reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of NIKE in a research note on Wednesday, December 31st. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their target price on NIKE from $38.00 to $35.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Piper Sandler set a $75.00 price target on shares of NIKE and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, BTIG Research reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $100.00 price objective on shares of NIKE in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Twenty-two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $74.61.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on NKE

NIKE Trading Down 1.7%

NYSE:NKE opened at $57.01 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $84.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.06 and a quick ratio of 1.40. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $63.26 and a 200-day moving average price of $66.39. NIKE has a one year low of $52.28 and a one year high of $80.19.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, December 18th. The footwear maker reported $0.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.37 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $12.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.19 billion. NIKE had a net margin of 5.43% and a return on equity of 18.43%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.78 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that NIKE will post 2.05 EPS for the current year.

NIKE Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.9%. NIKE’s dividend payout ratio is currently 96.47%.

Insider Transactions at NIKE

In related news, CEO Elliott Hill acquired 16,388 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $61.10 per share, for a total transaction of $1,001,306.80. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 241,587 shares in the company, valued at $14,760,965.70. The trade was a 7.28% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Robert Holmes Swan acquired 8,691 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $57.54 per share, with a total value of $500,080.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 43,293 shares in the company, valued at $2,491,079.22. The trade was a 25.12% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 75,079 shares of company stock worth $4,449,887. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NKE. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of NIKE in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Sankala Group LLC acquired a new stake in NIKE during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new stake in NIKE during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of NIKE in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of NIKE in the second quarter valued at about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.25% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting NIKE

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

Positive Sentiment: RBC/other analysts still see recovery potential, particularly from China, and some firms reaffirm bullish long‑term views (RBC’s thesis supports upside to the stock). Nike Faces China Recovery as Key Growth Driver, RBC Says
Positive Sentiment: Bullish writeups (Rebound Capital summaries syndicated to retail sites) argue NKE’s multiple and brand strength make it a buy for investors positioning for a turnaround. Is NIKE, Inc. (NKE) Stock A Good Buy Right Now?
Neutral Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus and other houses are taking cautious stances (e.g., hold ratings remain), reflecting mixed near‑term visibility even as some firms set higher price targets. Stifel Nicolaus Sticks to Its Hold Rating for Nike (NKE)
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst roundups offer mixed takes on consumer cyclicals (Nike included); these compilations add little immediate catalyst but reflect diverging views on timing of the recovery. Analysts Offer Insights on Consumer Cyclical Companies
Neutral Sentiment: Reports suggest Nike may consider strategic moves around the Converse business — this is speculative and could be either positive (streamlining/non‑core sale) or negative (execution risk/one‑time costs). ‘Nike Could Exit Converse,’ Says BNP Paribas
Negative Sentiment: NIKE announced ~ $300M in pre‑tax restructuring/severance charges tied to organizational changes and recent layoffs; management signals ongoing cost realignment that will pressure near‑term results and prompted the stock pullback. Nike to Record $300 Million Charge From Cost‑Cutting Efforts (WSJ)
Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets highlight the same $300M severance hit and note CEO Elliott Hill’s restructuring could include additional cuts — increasing short‑term execution and margin risk. Nike Restructuring And Severance Charge Test Turnaround Under New CEO

NIKE Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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).