Principal Financial Group Inc. Purchases 34,824 Shares of NIKE, Inc. $NKE

Key Points

• Principal Financial Group increased its stake in NIKE by 2.6%, buying 34,824 shares to own 1,398,673 shares worth about $89.1 million (0.09% of the company).
• NIKE declared a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share (about a 3.7%–3.8% yield), though the payout ratio is elevated at ~108.6%, which may raise sustainability concerns.
• Wall Street sentiment is mixed — the consensus rating is Hold with a $62.34 target after several price cuts — while rising short interest and an EEOC probe create meaningful downside and governance risks.

Principal Financial Group Inc. grew its stake in NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE - Free Report) by 2.6% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,398,673 shares of the footwear maker's stock after buying an additional 34,824 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.09% of NIKE worth $89,109,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Guerra Advisors Inc acquired a new position in shares of NIKE in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Gordian Capital Singapore Pte Ltd acquired a new position in shares of NIKE in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Accredited Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of NIKE by 268.6% in the third quarter. Accredited Wealth Management LLC now owns 516 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 376 shares during the period. Matrix Trust Co boosted its holdings in shares of NIKE by 43.6% in the fourth quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 596 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 181 shares during the period. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new position in NIKE during the fourth quarter worth $40,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.25% of the company's stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on NKE. KeyCorp reduced their target price on shares of NIKE from $90.00 to $75.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Weiss Ratings cut shares of NIKE from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a report on Monday. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of NIKE from $85.00 to $70.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of NIKE from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Saturday, April 18th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of NIKE from $65.00 to $55.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, NIKE currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $62.34.

Key Headlines Impacting NIKE

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: NIKE declared a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share (record June 1, payable July 1), implying a ~3.8% yield — a cash-return move that can steady income-oriented holders and improve sentiment. (Company release)
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary is bullish on the dividend and potential restart of growth, arguing the payout signals management confidence in cash flows and could help stabilize the stock. MSN: Dividend Confidence
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst-target commentary highlights a large gap between the current share price and the Wall Street consensus target (~$62), creating a narrative of meaningful upside for value-seeking investors — this thesis can attract bargain hunters and long-only funds. 247wallst: 41% Upside Thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: Berenberg reiterated a "neutral" rating on NKE — a reminder that some brokers remain cautious even as others highlight upside, contributing to mixed analyst signals. MarketScreener: Berenberg Neutral
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage on NIKE’s wholesale rebuild notes that restoring wholesale relationships is key to market-share recovery but may not immediately offset margin pressure — this is a medium-term operational story rather than an immediate earnings cure. Zacks: Wholesale Rebuild
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest has surged, according to reporting, increasing bets against NIKE and adding pressure on CEO Elliott Hill — elevated shorting can amplify downward moves and heighten volatility. Reuters: Short Bets Surge
• Negative Sentiment: NIKE is under an EEOC probe over DEI practices, a governance/legal overhang that increases execution risk and could weigh on multiple stakeholder relationships while the investigation proceeds. The Motley Fool: EEOC Probe

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other NIKE news, Director Robert Holmes Swan purchased 11,781 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $42.44 per share, with a total value of $499,985.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 55,074 shares in the company, valued at $2,337,340.56. This represents a 27.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director John W. Rogers, Jr. acquired 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 9th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $43.34 per share, for a total transaction of $173,360.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 41,022 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,777,893.48. This trade represents a 10.80% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders bought 64,441 shares of company stock worth $2,734,204 in the last three months. 0.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

NIKE Price Performance

Shares of NYSE NKE opened at $43.87 on Thursday. The business's 50 day moving average price is $50.56 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $59.30. The company has a market cap of $64.97 billion, a PE ratio of 29.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 1.12. The company has a quick ratio of 1.45, a current ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. NIKE, Inc. has a twelve month low of $42.09 and a twelve month high of $80.17.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The footwear maker reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $11.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.23 billion. NIKE had a return on equity of 16.41% and a net margin of 4.84%.The business's revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.54 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that NIKE, Inc. will post 1.51 EPS for the current year.

NIKE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. NIKE's payout ratio is 108.61%.

NIKE 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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