NIKE’s (NKE) Neutral Rating Reaffirmed at Barclays

NIKE (NYSE:NKE)‘s stock had its “neutral” rating restated by Barclays in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,MarketScreener reports.

A number of other research analysts have also issued reports on NKE. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of NIKE in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Guggenheim restated a “buy” rating on shares of NIKE in a research report on Wednesday, December 31st. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of NIKE in a report on Monday, January 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $67.00 price objective on shares of NIKE in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group lowered their target price on shares of NIKE from $75.00 to $72.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $75.13.

NIKE Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NYSE NKE traded down $1.04 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $64.53. 13,278,551 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 18,067,494. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $63.68 and its 200-day simple moving average is $69.52. The company has a market cap of $95.53 billion, a PE ratio of 37.96, a P/E/G ratio of 3.40 and a beta of 1.28. NIKE has a twelve month low of $52.28 and a twelve month high of $82.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.06 and a quick ratio of 1.40.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman Mark G. Parker sold 86,078 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.80, for a total transaction of $5,577,854.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman directly owned 647,615 shares in the company, valued at $41,965,452. This trade represents a 11.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Jorgen Vig Knudstorp purchased 16,150 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $62.09 per share, for a total transaction of $1,002,753.50. Following the purchase, the director owned 21,388 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,327,980.92. This represents a 308.32% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders bought 91,229 shares of company stock worth $5,452,640 in the last quarter. Insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NIKE

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in NKE. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of NIKE in the second quarter worth $26,000. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in NIKE by 952.6% in the second quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 400 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 362 shares during the period. Twin Peaks Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in NIKE in the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Matrix Trust Co increased its stake in NIKE by 53.1% during the 2nd quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 441 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 153 shares during the period. Finally, Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new position in NIKE during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. 64.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about NIKE

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reaffirmed its Buy rating on Nike, supporting demand from institutional investors and signaling continued conviction in Nike’s long?term growth. Wells Fargo Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Nike (NKE)
• Positive Sentiment: High?profile insider buying and bullish commentary (including a push to “follow” Tim Cook and CEO Elliott Hill) adds retail and momentum interest — a tailwind for sentiment and flows. Opinion: Why It’s Time to Follow Tim Cook and CEO Elliott Hill Into Nike Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Jim Cramer highlighted “a lot of value in Nike,” which can attract retail buyers and short?term momentum traders. Jim Cramer says “there’s a lot of value in Nike”
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks reports that Nike is attracting investor attention and summarizes factors investors should watch — useful for gauging retail interest but not a direct catalyst. NIKE, Inc. (NKE) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Neutral Sentiment: Several valuation pieces (The Motley Fool / MSN) debate whether Nike is reasonably priced, keeping investor views split between “value” buyers and those concerned about stretched multiples. Nike Stock: Reasonably Priced or Still Too Expensive?
• Neutral Sentiment: Loop Industries named Nike as an anchor customer for a plastics initiative — a strategic sustainability tie?in but a modest operational impact on Nike’s core apparel/footwear results. Loop Industries Advances India and Europe Projects, Names Nike Anchor Customer
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary lists dividend/portfolio ideas (Dogs of the Dow) that mention dividend yields and allocation strategies; these broader lists can redirect income?seeking flows but aren’t Nike?specific catalysts. The Dogs of the Dow: 10 Downtrodden Dividends Paying Out Up to 6.8%
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks and other analyst write?ups warn that tariff?driven margin pressure (Q2 gross margin reportedly slid ~300 bps) and related pricing/cost actions are a real headwind; investors may be selling on margin risk despite revenue/earnings beats. Margin Headwinds Strengthen: Will Tariff Mitigation Be Enough for NKE?

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).