NIKE’s (NKE) Buy Rating Reiterated at Sanford C. Bernstein

Sanford C. Bernstein restated their buy rating on shares of NIKE (NYSE:NKE) in a report released on Thursday,MarketScreener reports.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on NKE. Stifel Nicolaus set a $65.00 price target on NIKE and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on NIKE from $100.00 to $86.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 17th. Williams Trading lowered their target price on NIKE from $100.00 to $80.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 19th. Berenberg Bank reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $70.00 price target on shares of NIKE in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price target on NIKE from $93.00 to $85.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 19th. Twenty-two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.61.

NIKE Price Performance

NYSE NKE opened at $57.01 on Thursday. NIKE has a 1 year low of $52.28 and a 1 year high of $80.19. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $63.26 and a 200 day simple moving average of $66.39. The company has a current ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company has a market cap of $84.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 1.27.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The footwear maker reported $0.53 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $12.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.19 billion. NIKE had a net margin of 5.43% and a return on equity of 18.43%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.78 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict 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. Investors of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. NIKE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 96.47%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Timothy D. Cook acquired 50,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $58.97 per share, with a total value of $2,948,500.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 105,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,220,155.60. This trade represents a 90.12% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Elliott Hill acquired 16,388 shares of the 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 transaction, the chief executive officer owned 241,587 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $14,760,965.70. This trade represents a 7.28% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have bought a total of 75,079 shares of company stock valued at $4,449,887 over the last three months. 0.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NIKE

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Union Savings Bank acquired a new position in shares of NIKE in the 4th quarter worth approximately $83,000. Gunpowder Capital Management LLC dba Oliver Wealth Management acquired a new stake in NIKE in the 4th quarter valued at $57,000. Mengis Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in NIKE by 42.2% in the 4th quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc. now owns 51,721 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $3,295,000 after buying an additional 15,351 shares in the last quarter. AG Campbell Advisory LLC bought a new stake in NIKE in the fourth quarter valued at $624,000. Finally, Pure Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in NIKE by 5.3% in the fourth quarter. Pure Financial Advisors LLC now owns 5,785 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $369,000 after acquiring an additional 293 shares during the period. 64.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

NIKE News Roundup

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

About NIKE

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).