NIKE (NYSE:NKE) Sees Large Volume Increase on Insider Buying Activity

NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) shares saw unusually-high trading volume on Wednesday following insider buying activity. Approximately 14,859,151 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 10% from the previous session’s volume of 16,465,594 shares.The stock last traded at $60.20 and had previously closed at $57.34.

Specifically, Director Robert Holmes Swan bought 8,691 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $57.54 per share, with a total value of $500,080.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 43,293 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,491,079.22. This represents a 25.12% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Timothy D. Cook acquired 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $58.97 per share, for a total transaction of $2,948,500.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 105,480 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,220,155.60. This represents a 90.12% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on NKE shares. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $77.00 price target on shares of NIKE in a research report on Friday. Wall Street Zen raised NIKE from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, September 6th. Cowen raised NIKE from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of NIKE from $100.00 to $86.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company set a $65.00 price objective on NIKE and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $78.14.

Key Stores Impacting NIKE

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Tim Cook (Nike director and Apple CEO) disclosed an open‑market purchase of 50,000 shares (~$2.95M), a high‑visibility vote of confidence that helped lift pre‑market momentum. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Director Robert Holmes Swan bought 8,691 shares (~$500k), increasing his stake materially — another insider accumulation that reinforces the positive sentiment from Cook’s trade. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Media and pundit commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer) has highlighted a potential multi‑quarter recovery scenario, which can amplify retail buying following the insider headlines. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market roundups and analyst notes summarize mixed fundamentals and context (some firms still rate NKE a buy while others are cautious) — useful background but not a single catalyst. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent analyst downgrades and reports flag structural issues: margin compression, elevated payout ratio and weak China sales — risks that could cap upside even with short‑term buying. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Post‑earnings weakness (China decline, softer guidance) has already pushed shares below technical support, creating the backdrop for the earlier selloff that insiders appear to be buying into. Read More.

NIKE Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $88.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.46, a P/E/G ratio of 2.41 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a current ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $64.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $69.41.

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

NIKE Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 1st. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.7%. This is a boost from NIKE’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. NIKE’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 96.47%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On NIKE

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. AIA Group Ltd lifted its holdings in NIKE by 68.4% in the third quarter. AIA Group Ltd now owns 81,689 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $5,696,000 after acquiring an additional 33,186 shares during the period. FNY Investment Advisers LLC lifted its stake in shares of NIKE by 326.6% during the 3rd quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 7,893 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $550,000 after buying an additional 6,043 shares in the last quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP increased its holdings in shares of NIKE by 109.7% in the 3rd quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP now owns 28,797 shares of the footwear maker’s stock worth $2,008,000 after buying an additional 15,063 shares during the last quarter. Painted Porch Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of NIKE by 587.9% in the 3rd quarter. Painted Porch Advisors LLC now owns 1,424 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $99,000 after purchasing an additional 1,217 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Saranac Partners Ltd bought a new stake in shares of NIKE in the 3rd quarter worth about $567,000. 64.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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).