NIKE (NYSE:NKE) Stock Price Down 1.5% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• NIKE shares fell 1.5% to $45.71 on Wednesday and are trading well below their 50‑day ($54.01) and 200‑day ($60.80) moving averages, indicating a continued downtrend.
• The company beat the quarter's EPS estimate ($0.35 vs. $0.29) but saw year‑over‑year EPS and margin pressure as inventory clean‑ups and heavy discounting weigh on profitability, and the 3.6% yield comes with a 108.6% payout ratio, raising dividend cut risk.
• Signals are mixed: insiders (including the CEO) have been buying shares and some analysts reaffirm buys, yet several price‑target cuts and a MarketBeat consensus of "Hold" (average target $62.34) reflect lingering analyst skepticism.

Shares of NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE - Get Free Report) were down 1.5% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $45.50 and last traded at $45.7120. Approximately 17,874,791 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 9% from the average daily volume of 19,540,777 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.39.

Key NIKE News

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Insider buying resumed and Smart Insider named NKE its stock pick of the week, a signal some investors view as management/insider confidence that can support the share price. Nike Picked Stock of the Week at Smart Insider Following Renewed Insider Buying
• Positive Sentiment: DZ Bank reaffirmed a “buy” rating, supporting demand among buy-side investors and providing short-term support for the stock. MarketScreener
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive positioning vs. adidas remains a key theme—both firms are pushing digital expansion, innovation and category growth; outcomes will determine market-share trends but are not an immediate catalyst. NIKE vs. adidas: Which Athletic Leader Deserves Investors' Attention?
• Neutral Sentiment: Jim Cramer mentioned Nike among several names and the stock remains widely held by hedge funds (82 funds in Q4 2025), reflecting broad institutional exposure that can moderate volatility. Jim Cramer Rubbished Circular AI Deals & Commented On These 5 Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Nike’s inventory clean-up is ongoing but heavy discounting and an unfavorable product mix are keeping margin recovery muted; investors worry profit improvement will be slower than hoped. Are NIKE's Inventory Fixes Boosting Global Profitability Yet?
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage questions whether Nike’s turnaround is complete—analysts highlight a specific metric (profitability/margins and inventory velocity) that still needs fixing before growth is fully credible. Nike's Turnaround Is Still Not Complete. At Least, Not Until It Solves This Problem.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and writers are raising the prospect of a dividend cut given weaker recent financials, which would be a negative signal for income-focused investors. Is a Dividend Cut Inevitable for Nike?
• Negative Sentiment: Macro pressures (tariffs, oil shocks, market volatility) are cited as headwinds that have already affected Nike’s recent results and could further depress margins and demand. Tariffs, Oil Shocks, and Volatility: Is Nike Still Worth Owning in 2026?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have commented on NKE shares. Jefferies Financial Group cut their price target on shares of NIKE from $110.00 to $90.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Weiss Ratings cut shares of NIKE from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a "buy" rating on shares of NIKE in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Telsey Advisory Group cut their target price on shares of NIKE from $65.00 to $55.00 and set a "market perform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Williams Trading cut their target price on shares of NIKE from $80.00 to $57.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 1st. Seventeen 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $62.34.

NIKE Trading Down 1.5%

The business's 50 day moving average price is $54.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $60.80. The company has a current ratio of 2.14, a quick ratio of 1.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50. The company has a market cap of $67.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.27, a PEG ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.31.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The footwear maker reported $0.35 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29 by $0.06. NIKE had a net margin of 4.84% and a return on equity of 16.41%. The company had revenue of $11.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $11.23 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.54 EPS. NIKE's quarterly revenue was up .1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that NIKE, Inc. will post 1.52 EPS for the current fiscal year.

NIKE Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 2nd were paid a $0.41 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, March 2nd. This represents a $1.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.6%. NIKE's payout ratio is 108.61%.

Insider Buying and Selling at NIKE

In other NIKE news, CEO Elliott Hill acquired 23,660 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 13th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $42.27 per share, for a total transaction of $1,000,108.20. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 265,247 shares of the company's stock, valued at $11,211,990.69. This trade represents a 9.79% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Robert Holmes Swan acquired 11,781 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $42.44 per share, with a total value of $499,985.64. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 55,074 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,337,340.56. This represents a 27.21% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have acquired 64,441 shares of company stock worth $2,734,204 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of NIKE

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in shares of NIKE by 388.5% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 202,411 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $15,316,000 after buying an additional 160,980 shares in the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new position in shares of NIKE in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $311,000. United Bank raised its position in shares of 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 in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of NIKE by 0.3% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 64,161 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $4,558,000 after buying an additional 197 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc raised its position in shares of NIKE by 6.5% in the 2nd quarter. CIBC Asset Management Inc now owns 191,268 shares of the footwear maker's stock valued at $13,588,000 after buying an additional 11,646 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.25% of the company's stock.

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).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.