RFG Advisory LLC Raises Holdings in NIKE, Inc. $NKE

Key Points

• RFG Advisory LLC increased its NIKE stake by 309.7% in Q4 to 44,030 shares (about $2.805M), contributing to a landscape where institutional investors own roughly 64.25% of the stock.
• NIKE announced a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share (annualized yield ~3.7%) and expanded cost cuts including ~1,400 tech/digital job reductions, while reporting a modest EPS beat of $0.35 vs. $0.29 expectations.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed — the consensus rating is Hold with a $62.34 price target after several downward revisions — and the stock faces additional pressure from an EEOC DEI probe and rising bearish bets/short interest.

RFG Advisory LLC raised its holdings in NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE - Free Report) by 309.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 44,030 shares of the footwear maker's stock after purchasing an additional 33,283 shares during the quarter. RFG Advisory LLC's holdings in NIKE were worth $2,805,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Equitable Trust Co. raised its position in NIKE by 215.3% in the fourth quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 19,415 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $1,237,000 after purchasing an additional 13,257 shares during the period. Swedbank AB boosted its holdings in NIKE by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 978,627 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $62,348,000 after acquiring an additional 5,865 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its stake in NIKE by 6.0% during the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 2,636,061 shares of the footwear maker's stock worth $166,810,000 after purchasing an additional 148,224 shares during the period. AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of NIKE by 53.1% during the fourth quarter. AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC now owns 7,670 shares of the footwear maker's stock worth $489,000 after purchasing an additional 2,659 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of NIKE by 15.2% in the fourth quarter. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. now owns 27,555 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $1,756,000 after purchasing an additional 3,645 shares during the period. 64.25% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have recently issued reports on the company. BTIG Research reduced their price objective on NIKE from $90.00 to $75.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Barclays cut their target price on shares of NIKE from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Piper Sandler reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $50.00 price target (down from $60.00) on shares of NIKE in a report on Friday, April 10th. Williams Trading reduced their price objective on shares of NIKE from $80.00 to $57.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of NIKE from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "sell (d)" rating in a research note on Monday. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $62.34.

NIKE News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Nike’s board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.41 per share (payable July 1), signaling commitment to shareholder returns despite near-term revenue and margin pressure. Does Nike’s Steady Dividend Amid Strains Recast Its Capital Allocation Narrative For NKE Investors?
• Positive Sentiment: Nike expanded its “Win Now” cost-cutting with roughly 1,400 job cuts focused on tech/digital teams — a move that should reduce operating expenses and support margins over time, though it may pressure near-term execution and morale. Nike Expands Cost-Cutting Push With New Round of Job Reductions
• Positive Sentiment: Some outlets highlight analyst upside (consensus target near $62 implies ~41% upside from current levels), which can attract value-minded buyers if management stabilizes results. Nike’s 65% 3-Year Plunge Could Lead to 41% Upside Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Berenberg reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on NKE, leaving analyst guidance mixed and suggesting no immediate consensus shift. Nike Inc.: Berenberg Remains Neutral
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage noting a “valuation reset” and index-buzz could influence passive flows or reweights but is not an immediate earnings driver. Nike Valuation Reset Sparks Dow Jones Index Buzz
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail partner commentary (Britain’s JD Sports praising CEO Elliott Hill) is supportive PR but has limited direct financial impact. Britain's JD Sports says Nike's Hill 'doing a great job'
• Negative Sentiment: Nike faces regulatory and reputational risk: an EEOC probe into DEI practices and a rise in bearish bets/short interest have increased pressure on CEO Elliott Hill and could weigh on sentiment and stock liquidity. Bets surge against Nike, heaping pressure on CEO Hill Nike Balances DEI Probe With Football Growth And AI Operations Push

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director John W. Rogers, Jr. acquired 4,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 9th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $43.34 per share, with a total value of $173,360.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 41,022 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,777,893.48. The trade was a 10.80% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Timothy D. Cook bought 25,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 10th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $42.43 per share, for a total transaction of $1,060,750.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 130,480 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,536,266.40. This trade represents a 23.70% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have bought 64,441 shares of company stock worth $2,734,204. Insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

NIKE Stock Up 1.1%

NIKE stock opened at $44.36 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $65.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.38, a PEG ratio of 2.33 and a beta of 1.12. NIKE, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $42.09 and a fifty-two week high of $80.17. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $50.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $59.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a current ratio of 2.14.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 31st. The footwear maker reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $11.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.23 billion. NIKE had a return on equity of 16.41% and a net margin of 4.84%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.54 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that NIKE, Inc. will post 1.51 earnings per share for the current year.

NIKE Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Monday, June 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.41 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 1st. This represents a $1.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.7%. NIKE's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 108.61%.

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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