American Century Companies Inc. Sells 978,959 Shares of NIKE, Inc. $NKE

Key Points

• American Century Companies cut its NIKE stake by 61.6% in Q3, selling 978,959 shares and retaining 610,324 shares worth about $42.56 million.
• Insiders showed confidence with purchases—CEO Elliott Hill bought 16,388 shares and Director Timothy D. Cook bought 50,000 shares, as insiders acquired 75,079 shares (~$4.45M) over the last three months.
• NIKE announced a roughly $300M pre-tax restructuring/severance charge that may pressure near-term results, while analysts are mixed; the consensus rating is a "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $74.61.

American Century Companies Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE - Free Report) by 61.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 610,324 shares of the footwear maker's stock after selling 978,959 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc.'s holdings in NIKE were worth $42,558,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in NIKE by 388.5% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 202,411 shares of the footwear maker's stock worth $15,316,000 after acquiring an additional 160,980 shares during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP bought a new position in shares of NIKE during the first quarter worth about $311,000. United Bank raised its position in NIKE by 11.3% in the 2nd quarter. United Bank now owns 17,067 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $1,212,000 after buying an additional 1,736 shares during the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. raised its position in NIKE by 5.9% in the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 18,256 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $1,297,000 after buying an additional 1,014 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp lifted its stake in NIKE by 138.8% in the 2nd quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp now owns 62,391 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $4,432,000 after acquiring an additional 36,265 shares in the last quarter. 64.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about NIKE

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: RBC/other analysts still see recovery potential, particularly from China, and some firms reaffirm bullish long‑term views (RBC’s thesis supports upside to the stock). Nike Faces China Recovery as Key Growth Driver, RBC Says
• Positive Sentiment: Bullish writeups (Rebound Capital summaries syndicated to retail sites) argue NKE’s multiple and brand strength make it a buy for investors positioning for a turnaround. Is NIKE, Inc. (NKE) Stock A Good Buy Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Stifel Nicolaus and other houses are taking cautious stances (e.g., hold ratings remain), reflecting mixed near‑term visibility even as some firms set higher price targets. Stifel Nicolaus Sticks to Its Hold Rating for Nike (NKE)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst roundups offer mixed takes on consumer cyclicals (Nike included); these compilations add little immediate catalyst but reflect diverging views on timing of the recovery. Analysts Offer Insights on Consumer Cyclical Companies
• Neutral Sentiment: Reports suggest Nike may consider strategic moves around the Converse business — this is speculative and could be either positive (streamlining/non‑core sale) or negative (execution risk/one‑time costs). ‘Nike Could Exit Converse,’ Says BNP Paribas
• Negative Sentiment: NIKE announced ~ $300M in pre‑tax restructuring/severance charges tied to organizational changes and recent layoffs; management signals ongoing cost realignment that will pressure near‑term results and prompted the stock pullback. Nike to Record $300 Million Charge From Cost‑Cutting Efforts (WSJ)
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple outlets highlight the same $300M severance hit and note CEO Elliott Hill’s restructuring could include additional cuts — increasing short‑term execution and margin risk. Nike Restructuring And Severance Charge Test Turnaround Under New CEO

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on NKE shares. Daiwa Securities Group decreased their price target on NIKE from $75.00 to $61.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 23rd. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $78.00 target price on shares of NIKE in a report on Thursday. Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on NIKE from $93.00 to $85.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 19th. Truist Financial set a $69.00 price objective on NIKE in a research note on Wednesday, January 14th. Finally, Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of NIKE from $84.00 to $73.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 19th. Twenty-two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $74.61.

Insider Transactions at NIKE

In other NIKE news, CEO Elliott Hill acquired 16,388 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 29th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $61.10 per share, for a total transaction of $1,001,306.80. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 241,587 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $14,760,965.70. This trade represents a 7.28% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Timothy D. Cook bought 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $58.97 per share, for a total transaction of $2,948,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 105,480 shares in the company, valued at $6,220,155.60. This trade represents a 90.12% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders purchased 75,079 shares of company stock worth $4,449,887 over the last three months. 0.80% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

NIKE Stock Performance

NYSE:NKE opened at $57.01 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.40, a current ratio of 2.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. NIKE, Inc. has a twelve month low of $52.28 and a twelve month high of $80.19. The stock has a market cap of $84.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 1.27. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $63.26 and its 200 day simple moving average is $66.47.

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

NIKE Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 2nd will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 2nd. NIKE's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 96.47%.

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).

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