NIKE (NYSE:NKE) Receives Neutral Rating from Berenberg Bank

Berenberg Bank reiterated their neutral rating on shares of NIKE (NYSE:NKE) in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday morning,MarketScreener reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of NIKE in a research note on Friday, April 24th. Piper Sandler restated a “neutral” rating and set a $50.00 target price (down from $60.00) on shares of NIKE in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $55.00 price target (down from $73.00) on shares of NIKE in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of NIKE in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane cut their price objective on shares of NIKE from $35.00 to $23.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, NIKE currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $62.34.

NIKE Stock Performance

Shares of NKE opened at $43.87 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.45. NIKE has a one year low of $42.09 and a one year high of $80.17. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.05, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.12. The business has a fifty day moving average of $50.56 and a 200 day moving average of $59.30.

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

NIKE Announces Dividend

The company 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. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.7%. NIKE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 108.61%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Timothy D. Cook acquired 25,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 10th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $42.43 per share, for a total transaction of $1,060,750.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 130,480 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,536,266.40. This trade represents a 23.70% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Elliott Hill bought 23,660 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $42.27 per share, with a total value of $1,000,108.20. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 265,247 shares in the company, valued at $11,211,990.69. This trade represents a 9.79% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders acquired 64,441 shares of company stock worth $2,734,204 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NIKE

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC grew its position in shares of NIKE by 4.2% during the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,441 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $244,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. Diligent Investors LLC boosted its stake in NIKE by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Diligent Investors LLC now owns 3,719 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $237,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the period. CVA Family Office LLC grew its holdings in NIKE by 8.0% during the 3rd quarter. CVA Family Office LLC now owns 2,113 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $147,000 after buying an additional 156 shares in the last quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of NIKE by 1.9% during the third quarter. Naples Global Advisors LLC now owns 8,514 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $597,000 after buying an additional 159 shares during the last quarter. Finally, North Star Investment Management Corp. lifted its holdings in shares of NIKE by 4.3% in the third quarter. North Star Investment Management Corp. now owns 3,863 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $269,000 after buying an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. 64.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NIKE News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: NIKE declared a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share (record June 1, payable July 1), implying a ~3.8% yield — a cash-return move that can steady income-oriented holders and improve sentiment. (Company release)
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary is bullish on the dividend and potential restart of growth, arguing the payout signals management confidence in cash flows and could help stabilize the stock. MSN: Dividend Confidence
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst-target commentary highlights a large gap between the current share price and the Wall Street consensus target (~$62), creating a narrative of meaningful upside for value-seeking investors — this thesis can attract bargain hunters and long-only funds. 247wallst: 41% Upside Thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: Berenberg reiterated a “neutral” rating on NKE — a reminder that some brokers remain cautious even as others highlight upside, contributing to mixed analyst signals. MarketScreener: Berenberg Neutral
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on NIKE’s wholesale rebuild notes that restoring wholesale relationships is key to market-share recovery but may not immediately offset margin pressure — this is a medium-term operational story rather than an immediate earnings cure. Zacks: Wholesale Rebuild
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest has surged, according to reporting, increasing bets against NIKE and adding pressure on CEO Elliott Hill — elevated shorting can amplify downward moves and heighten volatility. Reuters: Short Bets Surge
• Negative Sentiment: NIKE is under an EEOC probe over DEI practices, a governance/legal overhang that increases execution risk and could weigh on multiple stakeholder relationships while the investigation proceeds. The Motley Fool: EEOC Probe

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).