Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Acquires 130,315 Shares of NIKE, Inc. $NKE

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) by 428.1% in the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 160,753 shares of the footwear maker’s stock after purchasing an additional 130,315 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in NIKE were worth $6,599,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Westerkirk Capital Inc. boosted its position in shares of NIKE by 52.4% during the fourth quarter. Westerkirk Capital Inc. now owns 131,220 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $8,360,000 after buying an additional 45,100 shares during the period. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp raised its position in NIKE by 77.9% in the 4th quarter. OMERS ADMINISTRATION Corp now owns 2,526,179 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $160,943,000 after buying an additional 1,106,499 shares during the last quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC raised its position in NIKE by 32.8% in the 2nd quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 244,296 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $10,028,000 after buying an additional 60,375 shares during the last quarter. PFA Pension Forsikringsaktieselskab acquired a new stake in shares of NIKE in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $43,188,000. Finally, Nicholas Company Inc. lifted its position in NIKE by 33.3% during the 4th quarter. Nicholas Company Inc. now owns 123,652 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $7,878,000 after buying an additional 30,890 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 64.25% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on NKE shares. Stifel Nicolaus set a $45.00 price target on NIKE and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Wall Street Zen upgraded NIKE from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada reissued a “sector perform” rating and issued a $45.00 price objective on shares of NIKE in a report on Tuesday. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of NIKE from $50.00 to $45.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, UBS Group set a $48.00 price target on shares of NIKE and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, twenty have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, NIKE currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $52.94.

NIKE Stock Performance

NKE opened at $39.57 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.36, a current ratio of 1.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. NIKE, Inc. has a 12-month low of $38.17 and a 12-month high of $79.13. The business has a 50 day moving average of $41.91 and a 200-day moving average of $47.11. The stock has a market cap of $58.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.93, a PEG ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 1.11.

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

NIKE Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, October 1st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, September 1st will be given a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, September 1st. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.1%. NIKE’s dividend payout ratio is presently 78.47%.

Insider Activity at NIKE

In other news, CFO Matthew Friend sold 2,463 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $41.60, for a total transaction of $102,460.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 82,165 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,418,064. This trade represents a 2.91% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Philip Mccartney sold 17,398 shares of NIKE stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.18, for a total transaction of $803,439.64. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 53,133 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,453,681.94. The trade was a 24.67% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Insiders sold 26,142 shares of company stock valued at $1,169,380 over the last three months. Company insiders own 1.10% of the company’s stock.

NIKE News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Traders purchased 182,729 NKE call options, 59% above typical daily call volume. The activity may reflect increased bullish speculation, although options positioning does not guarantee sustained buying in the shares.
• Positive Sentiment: Grupo SBF extended its exclusive Nike distribution agreement in Brazil through 2034. The longer arrangement provides continued access to an important Latin American market and supports Nike’s regional distribution network. Grupo SBF Extends Exclusive Nike Distribution Deal in Brazil to 2034
• Neutral Sentiment: NIKE said it will release fiscal first-quarter 2027 results on October 1 after the market close, followed by a management conference call. Investors will look for evidence that the company’s turnaround is improving sales, inventory levels and margins. NIKE Announces First Quarter Fiscal 2027 Earnings and Conference Call
• Neutral Sentiment: NIKE appointed Walmart veteran Jane Ewing as chief commercial officer to help lead its comeback. The hire could strengthen execution and retail strategy, but investors are likely to want measurable results before assigning significant value to the turnaround. Nike Taps Walmart Veteran to Help Drive Comeback
• Negative Sentiment: Reports say Nike’s China business continues to shrink as domestic competitors gain market share and the brand struggles to remain locally relevant. China weakness threatens a key source of long-term growth. Why America’s Biggest Brands Keep Losing in China
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary continue to cite soft consumer confidence, weaker traffic, excess legacy inventory and doubts about product innovation. These concerns reinforce expectations for a prolonged recovery and have contributed to reduced price targets and bearish sentiment.

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).