NIKE (NYSE:NKE) Downgraded by Robert W. Baird to “Hold”

NIKE (NYSE:NKE) was downgraded by investment analysts at Robert W. Baird from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Monday, Zacks reports.

Other equities research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Oppenheimer dropped their price target on NIKE from $120.00 to $60.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Zacks Research raised shares of NIKE from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on shares of NIKE from $46.00 to $42.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $68.00 price target (down from $72.00) on shares of NIKE in a research note on Wednesday, July 29th. Finally, Truist Financial set a $42.00 price target on shares of NIKE and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, NIKE currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $49.18.

NIKE Stock Performance

Shares of NKE stock opened at $37.04 on Monday. NIKE has a 12-month low of $36.55 and a 12-month high of $76.97. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $40.92 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.00. The company has a current ratio of 1.96, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The company has a market cap of $54.95 billion, a PE ratio of 17.72, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.10.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, June 30th. The footwear maker reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.11 by $0.09. NIKE had a return on equity of 16.54% and a net margin of 6.70%.The firm had revenue of $10.97 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.85 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.14 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that NIKE will post 1.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at NIKE

In related news, CFO Matthew Friend sold 2,463 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.60, for a total value of $102,460.80. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 82,165 shares in the company, valued at $3,418,064. This represents a 2.91% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Philip McCartney sold 2,559 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.59, for a total transaction of $96,192.81. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 78,121 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,936,568.39. This trade represents a 3.17% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders sold 14,974 shares of company stock worth $600,126. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On NIKE

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its holdings in NIKE by 1.9% during the second quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 640,889 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $26,308,000 after acquiring an additional 11,884 shares during the period. MCF Advisors LLC boosted its position in NIKE by 48.4% in the 2nd quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 25,663 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $1,060,000 after purchasing an additional 8,370 shares in the last quarter. National Pension Service boosted its position in NIKE by 8.7% in the 2nd quarter. National Pension Service now owns 3,088,640 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $126,789,000 after purchasing an additional 247,230 shares in the last quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd grew its stake in shares of NIKE by 63.0% during the 2nd quarter. WINTON GROUP Ltd now owns 43,923 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $1,803,000 after purchasing an additional 16,978 shares during the period. Finally, Cidel Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of NIKE by 33.4% during the 2nd quarter. Cidel Asset Management Inc. now owns 15,948 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $655,000 after purchasing an additional 3,995 shares in the last quarter. 64.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

NIKE News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Some insiders have purchased NIKE shares, while the stock’s approximately 4% dividend yield and depressed valuation could attract contrarian investors. However, insider activity overall remains mixed. Nike Stock Opinions on Long-Term Performance Challenges
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are looking ahead to NIKE’s earnings report early next month, which could provide an important update on demand trends, China, margins, and progress under the turnaround plan. Should You Buy Nike Stock Before October 1?
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the recent selloff, some market participants believe extremely negative sentiment could create upside if NIKE delivers better-than-expected results or restores growth. Analysts’ price targets remain widely dispersed, reflecting significant uncertainty.
• Negative Sentiment: Citigroup lowered its price target from $45 to $39 and retained a neutral rating, signaling limited confidence in a rapid recovery despite projected upside from the current level.
• Negative Sentiment: NIKE faces weak consumer demand, ongoing China challenges, and mounting concerns about its turnaround. The stock has fallen more than 75% from its high and is down roughly 40% in 2026, making it one of the Dow’s weakest performers. NKE Stock Slips as Turnaround Struggles Mount
• Negative Sentiment: Institutional positioning has been unfavorable: more funds reduced their holdings than added shares in the latest quarter, while reported large-stake reductions have reinforced selling pressure. Nike Stock Plummets Following Institutional Selloff
• Negative Sentiment: Recent quarterly revenue declined about 1.1% year over year, underscoring the growth problem investors want management to solve. While earnings exceeded expectations, the broader sales trend remains a concern.

About NIKE

NIKE, Inc is a global athletic footwear, apparel and equipment company headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon. The company designs, develops and markets products under the NIKE, Jordan and Converse brands, serving athletes and consumers across a broad range of sports and lifestyle categories.

NIKE’s offerings include athletic and casual footwear, sportswear, apparel, accessories and athletic equipment. The company distributes its products through company-owned retail stores, digital platforms, wholesale partners and independent distributors.