Equities Analysts Offer Predictions for NIKE FY2026 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks Research cut its FY2026 EPS estimate for NIKE to $1.53 from $1.63, versus a current consensus full‑year estimate of $2.05 per share.
• Analyst sentiment remains generally positive with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $75.84, though individual targets range roughly from $64 to $115 and opinions run from Strong Buy to Sell.
• NIKE recently beat quarterly expectations (EPS $0.53 vs $0.37; revenue $12.43B), raised its quarterly dividend to $0.41 (yield ~2.6%), and saw mixed insider activity including a large chairman sale and director purchases.

NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE - Free Report) - Stock analysts at Zacks Research dropped their FY2026 earnings estimates for NIKE in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, December 31st. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the footwear maker will post earnings of $1.53 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $1.63. The consensus estimate for NIKE's current full-year earnings is $2.05 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for NIKE's Q4 2026 earnings at $0.23 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.68 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.74 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $0.51 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.38 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.32 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $0.83 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $0.91 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.93 EPS.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on NKE. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of NIKE in a research report on Wednesday. Williams Trading cut their price objective on shares of NIKE from $100.00 to $80.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 19th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $115.00 price objective on shares of NIKE in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $65.00 target price on NIKE and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, December 19th. Finally, Barclays set a $64.00 price target on NIKE and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, December 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, NIKE currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $75.84.

NIKE Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of NKE opened at $63.18 on Monday. NIKE has a fifty-two week low of $52.28 and a fifty-two week high of $82.44. The business has a 50-day moving average of $63.59 and a 200 day moving average of $69.42. The firm has a market cap of $93.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.40 and a current ratio of 2.06.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 18th. The footwear maker reported $0.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.37 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $12.43 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.19 billion. NIKE had a net margin of 5.43% and a return on equity of 18.43%. NIKE's quarterly revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.78 EPS.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. lifted its stake in NIKE by 1.0% during the second quarter. Mitchell Mcleod Pugh & Williams Inc. now owns 14,176 shares of the footwear maker's stock worth $1,007,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC raised its holdings in shares of NIKE by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,441 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $244,000 after buying an additional 139 shares in the last quarter. St. Clair Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of NIKE by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. St. Clair Advisors LLC now owns 15,217 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $1,061,000 after buying an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Caldwell Sutter Capital Inc. lifted its position in NIKE by 6.3% in the 2nd quarter. Caldwell Sutter Capital Inc. now owns 2,390 shares of the footwear maker's stock worth $170,000 after buying an additional 142 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Salomon & Ludwin LLC boosted its stake in NIKE by 10.1% in the second quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 1,575 shares of the footwear maker's stock worth $120,000 after buying an additional 145 shares in the last quarter. 64.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at NIKE

In other NIKE news, Chairman Mark G. Parker sold 86,078 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.80, for a total value of $5,577,854.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 647,615 shares of the company's stock, valued at $41,965,452. The trade was a 11.73% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert Holmes Swan purchased 8,691 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $57.54 per share, for a total transaction of $500,080.14. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 43,293 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,491,079.22. The trade was a 25.12% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have bought 91,229 shares of company stock valued at $5,452,640 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

NIKE Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, January 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 1st were given a dividend of $0.41 per share. This is a boost from NIKE's previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. NIKE's dividend payout ratio is 96.47%.

More NIKE News

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company insiders have been buying stock (CEO purchase ~ $1.0M), a clear confidence signal that triggered a strong late‑Dec rally. Insider Buying: NIKE NYSE: NKE CEO Acquires $1,001,306.80 in Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentators and TV personalities highlighted the insider activity as a catalyst; Jim Cramer pointed to notable bets and said the insider buying positions Nike to “win now,” which can amplify retail/investor interest. Jim Cramer Points To Bob Swan Bet On Nike Amid Elliott Hill, Tim Cook's Purchases: Set To 'Win Now'
• Positive Sentiment: An institutional manager (Sustainable Growth Advisers) added Nike to a large‑cap growth strategy, signaling professional interest from at least one active manager. Institutional flows can support the stock if continued. Factors Behind SGA U.S. Large Cap Growth Strategy’s New Addition: Nike (NKE)
• Neutral Sentiment: Technically the shares are consolidating after the insider‑driven jump; some technical analysts see the stock “refilling the gap,” which suggests near‑term stabilization but not a clear directional signal. Stock Of The Day: Did Nike Refill The Gap?
• Negative Sentiment: Despite insider purchases, the stock has shown intraday weakness and is “trading lower” from recent strength — suggesting profit taking or skepticism about the durability of the rally. Nike Shares Trade Lower Despite Recent Insider Buying
• Negative Sentiment: Longer‑term critics note Nike’s multi‑year share decline (articles arguing the stock is down ~57%) and question whether current valuation and execution justify buying on the bounce — a reminder of the risk investors face beyond short‑term insider signals. Down 57%, Is Nike Stock a Buy in 2026?

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).

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