NIKE (NYSE:NKE) Upgraded to Overweight at Barclays

Barclays upgraded shares of NIKE (NYSE:NKE) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have $73.00 target price on the footwear maker’s stock, up from their previous target price of $64.00.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $78.00 price target on shares of NIKE in a report on Thursday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of NIKE from $100.00 to $86.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 17th. Argus lowered their price objective on shares of NIKE from $85.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. DZ Bank reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of NIKE in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Guggenheim reissued a “buy” rating on shares of NIKE in a research report on Wednesday, December 31st. Twenty-three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $74.90.

NIKE Stock Performance

Shares of NKE opened at $55.70 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $62.91 and a 200 day moving average of $65.96. The company has a market capitalization of $82.45 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.76, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 1.27. NIKE has a 12 month low of $52.28 and a 12 month high of $80.17. The company has a current ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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. The business had revenue of $12.43 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.19 billion. NIKE had a return on equity of 18.43% and a net margin of 5.43%.The business’s revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.78 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that NIKE will post 2.05 earnings per share for the current year.

NIKE Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.9%. NIKE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 96.47%.

Insider Activity

In other NIKE news, Director Timothy D. Cook purchased 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 22nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $58.97 per share, for a total transaction of $2,948,500.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 105,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,220,155.60. This represents a 90.12% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Elliott Hill acquired 16,388 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 29th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $61.10 per share, with a total value of $1,001,306.80. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 241,587 shares in the company, valued at $14,760,965.70. This trade represents a 7.28% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have acquired a total of 75,079 shares of company stock valued at $4,449,887 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NIKE

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in NKE. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC purchased a new stake in NIKE during the 4th quarter worth about $26,000. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in NIKE during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of NIKE during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. J.Safra Asset Management Corp purchased a new stake in shares of NIKE in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of NIKE in the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. 64.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Key NIKE News

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays upgrade to Overweight and higher price target — Barclays upgraded NKE from Equal-Weight to Overweight and raised its target (reported as $73), calling the shares likely at a “fundamental bottom” and citing operational progress; that upgrade is the primary catalyst for the intraday uplift. Nike’s Stock Gets an Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat deep-dive: North America recovery & inventory cleanup — Recent reporting highlights a clear North America rebound (wholesale/orderbook improvements), a healthier product pipeline, and fewer promotions — factors that support margin recovery and validate Barclays’ view. Just Buy It? Barclays Thinks Nike Is Ready to Run
• Positive Sentiment: Broad analyst attention & market reaction — Multiple outlets note the upgrade and project ~30% upside from current levels; Nike led the Dow in early trade on the news, signaling short-term momentum and renewed investor interest. Nike stock rises 2% as Barclays upgrades
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and reassessment after a sharp pullback — Some analysts are recalculating fair value after recent share-price declines; the stock’s lower level has opened value-argument conversations but still depends on execution. Assessing Nike Valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Other bullish reiterations — Firms like RBC have reiterated constructive calls, but their takes emphasize the same conditional drivers (China recovery, margin trends). These reinforce confidence but don’t add a new catalyst. RBC Sees Path to Growth
• Negative Sentiment: Lingering headwinds — Greater China weakness, Converse challenges, tariff uncertainty and earlier gross-margin pressure remain real risks; the recovery narrative depends on continued improvement across these areas. Nike Stock Gets an Upgrade — Investors Are Too Skeptical
• Negative Sentiment: Recent multi-session selloff prior to upgrade — The stock endured a notable pullback (weekly losses and a one-year decline) that raises the bar for sustained upside until margins and international results stabilize. Nike drops for the seventh straight session

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).