Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund Trims Stake in NIKE, Inc. $NKE

Key Points

• Fjarde AP Fonden cut its NIKE stake by 10% in the fourth quarter, selling 30,400 shares and ending with 272,492 shares worth about $17.36 million.
• Wall Street sentiment on NIKE remains mixed: analysts have a consensus Hold rating with a consensus price target of $62.04, though some firms still rate the stock Buy.
• NIKE recently beat quarterly EPS expectations and maintained a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share, while insiders including the CEO and a director also bought shares in recent months.

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund reduced its position in NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE - Free Report) by 10.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 272,492 shares of the footwear maker's stock after selling 30,400 shares during the period. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund's holdings in NIKE were worth $17,360,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in shares of NIKE by 4.2% in the 2nd quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,441 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $244,000 after purchasing an additional 139 shares during the last quarter. Diligent Investors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of NIKE by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Diligent Investors LLC now owns 3,719 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $237,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in shares of NIKE by 4.3% in the 4th quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 3,978 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $253,000 after purchasing an additional 163 shares during the last quarter. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of NIKE by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Lakeshore Capital Group Inc. now owns 5,868 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $374,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the last quarter. Finally, TPG Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of NIKE by 4.8% in the 3rd quarter. TPG Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,666 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $256,000 after purchasing an additional 168 shares during the last quarter. 64.25% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on NKE. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $52.00 target price on shares of NIKE in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company set a $45.00 target price on NIKE and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. restated a "neutral" rating on shares of NIKE in a research report on Monday, April 13th. UBS Group restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $54.00 price target on shares of NIKE in a research report on Friday. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "buy" rating on shares of NIKE in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Sixteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $62.04.

NIKE Stock Performance

Shares of NKE stock opened at $43.05 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $44.85 and its 200 day moving average price is $56.08. NIKE, Inc. has a 52-week low of $41.35 and a 52-week high of $80.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $63.75 billion, a PE ratio of 28.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 1.12.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The footwear maker reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.29 by $0.06. NIKE had a return on equity of 16.41% and a net margin of 4.84%.The company had revenue of $11.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.23 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.54 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that NIKE, Inc. will post 1.49 EPS for the current year.

NIKE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 1st will be given a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. NIKE's payout ratio is presently 108.61%.

NIKE News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: NIKE is leaning into its football business ahead of the World Cup, and analysts said the company’s investor event reinforced CEO Elliott Hill’s plan to rebuild the brand sport by sport and region by region. That could support the long-term turnaround narrative. Nike bets big on Beautiful Game ahead of World Cup
• Positive Sentiment: Investor interest in NIKE remains elevated, with recent coverage highlighting that the stock is still drawing attention from market watchers as they evaluate the company’s outlook and earnings trajectory. NIKE, Inc. (NKE) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: NIKE continues to push a high-profile marketing campaign, “Rip The Script,” featuring major athletes and celebrities, which may help brand visibility and demand heading into a key sports calendar. NKE Stock Eyes Red Week Ahead Of FIFA World Cup: Nike’s Star-Studded Campaign Can’t Stop It From Falling
• Neutral Sentiment: Several articles focused on shifting investor narratives and watched-the-stock commentary, but no new price target or major fundamental update was announced, limiting the immediate catalyst. How The Narrative Around Nike (NKE) Is Evolving Without A New Price Target
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary on a possible legal inquiry about insider duties did not provide clear evidence of wrongdoing, so it is more of a headline risk than a confirmed stock-moving event. Did NIKE, Inc. Insiders Breach their Fiduciary Duties to Shareholders?
• Negative Sentiment: Some coverage suggests NIKE still faces questions about regaining momentum in a changing consumer market, while the stock has also been pressured by broader concerns that the turnaround may take time. Can Nike Regain Momentum In A Changing Consumer Market?
• Negative Sentiment: Market chatter also highlights a “red week” narrative ahead of the FIFA World Cup, implying investors remain skeptical that NIKE’s ad campaign alone will quickly reverse the stock’s weakness. Curry Defection And World Cup Push Test Nike Turnaround Expectations

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other NIKE news, Director Robert Holmes Swan bought 11,781 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 7th. The shares were bought at an average price of $42.44 per share, for a total transaction of $499,985.64. Following the transaction, the director owned 55,074 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,337,340.56. This trade represents a 27.21% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Elliott Hill bought 23,660 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $42.27 per share, for a total transaction of $1,000,108.20. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 265,247 shares in the company, valued at $11,211,990.69. This trade represents a 9.79% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 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.

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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