ProShare Advisors LLC Raises Stock Position in NIKE, Inc. $NKE

ProShare Advisors LLC grew its stake in NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) by 11.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 333,961 shares of the footwear maker’s stock after buying an additional 35,522 shares during the period. ProShare Advisors LLC’s holdings in NIKE were worth $21,277,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of NKE. Guerra Advisors Inc purchased a new stake in NIKE in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd acquired a new position in NIKE in the third quarter valued at $35,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of NIKE by 268.6% during the third quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 516 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 376 shares during the last quarter. Strive Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of NIKE during the third quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Matrix Trust Co increased its position in shares of NIKE by 43.6% during the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 596 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 181 shares in the last quarter. 64.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other NIKE news, Director Robert Holmes Swan bought 11,781 shares of NIKE stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was bought at an average price of $42.44 per share, with a total value of $499,985.64. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 55,074 shares in the company, valued at $2,337,340.56. The trade was a 27.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Elliott Hill bought 23,660 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, April 13th. The shares were bought at an average price of $42.27 per share, for a total transaction of $1,000,108.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 265,247 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,211,990.69. This represents a 9.79% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 64,441 shares of company stock worth $2,734,204. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company’s stock.

NIKE Trading Up 4.2%

Shares of NKE stock opened at $44.20 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $65.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a current ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The business’s 50 day moving average is $47.05 and its two-hundred day moving average is $57.55. NIKE, Inc. has a twelve month low of $41.35 and a twelve month high of $80.17.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The footwear maker reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $11.28 billion during 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%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.54 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that NIKE, Inc. will post 1.51 EPS for the current year.

NIKE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be issued a $0.41 dividend. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. NIKE’s payout ratio is currently 108.61%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on NKE. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on NIKE from $85.00 to $70.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Barclays reduced their price objective on NIKE from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. China Renaissance lowered their target price on shares of NIKE from $74.60 to $50.30 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of NIKE in a report on Monday, April 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of NIKE from $110.00 to $90.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, NIKE currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $62.04.

NIKE News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity pointed to bullish positioning, with investors buying 181,748 call options on NIKE, well above the recent average, suggesting traders are betting on further upside.
• Positive Sentiment: NIKE shares gained alongside discretionary stocks as softer energy prices and easing Treasury yields improved sentiment toward consumer names, which can support spending expectations and valuation multiples. Nike Stock Soars As Energy Prices And Bond Yields Drop
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary continues to debate whether NIKE is attractive at current levels, with some analysts saying the stock is still not cheap enough while others argue the risk/reward is becoming more balanced. Nike: Tough Environment, But Risks Are Priced In Nike: Not Cheap Enough Yet
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional coverage focused on NIKE’s strategic efforts, including discussion of China, athlete-led innovation, and AI-related initiatives, but these headlines do not yet point to a clear near-term fundamental catalyst.
• Negative Sentiment: Persistent worries about China remain a drag on sentiment, with reports citing weak demand, tougher local competition, and inventory issues that could continue to pressure sales and margins.
• Negative Sentiment: Some investors remain cautious after NIKE’s recent struggles, and commentary that the company is “struggling” reinforces concerns that a full recovery may take time.

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).