Nokia (NYSE:NOK) Shares Down 6.5% - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Shares fell 6.5% to $12.33 on Thursday on heavy trading (~126.2M shares, +96% vs. average), signaling short‑term profit‑taking after a recent rally.
• Business catalysts: Nokia secured high‑profile wins (open‑architecture mission‑critical 5G with Lockheed Martin and private‑wireless industrial deals) and is seen as a beneficiary of optical networking demand from AI/data‑center buildouts.
• Mixed analyst/valuation picture: Analysts are split (12 Buys, 4 Holds, 2 Sells) with a consensus "Moderate Buy" but an average price target of $9.71 below the current price; Nokia trades at a high P/E (~77) and recently raised its quarterly dividend to $0.0468 (≈1.5% yield).

Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK - Get Free Report)'s share price was down 6.5% on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $12.13 and last traded at $12.3330. Approximately 126,206,432 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 96% from the average daily volume of 64,238,398 shares. The stock had previously closed at $13.19.

More Nokia News

Here are the key news stories impacting Nokia this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Nokia and Lockheed Martin are rolling out mission‑critical, open‑architecture 5G for defence and other critical applications — a high‑profile commercial validation that supports long‑term revenue from private/mission networks. Nokia and Lockheed Martin Roll Out Mission-Critical 5G Technology Nokia and Lockheed launch open-architecture 5G for defence
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades: Argus upgraded NOK to Buy with a $15 PT and Arete upgraded to Buy (EUR 10.60 PT), signaling growing analyst conviction around hyperscale/data‑center exposure and AI tailwinds. These upgrades can support the stock but may already be partially priced in. Nokia (NOK) Upgraded to Buy at Argus Arete Upgrades Nokia (NOK) to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Optical networking is highlighted as a material growth catalyst from AI/data‑center buildouts — analysts expect optical to be a larger share of revenue through 2028, supporting higher multiples if execution continues. Nokia's Optical Networking Business Is A Solid Investment Catalyst
• Positive Sentiment: Commercial private‑wireless win: Nokia and Trilogy NextGen are powering Hybar’s smart steel mill with private wireless, showing traction in industrial IoT/private 5G segments. Trilogy NextGen and Nokia power Hybar's smart and sustainable steel mill factory with private wireless solutions
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/theme note: Quantum and other advanced tech ETFs are seeing investor interest, reflecting broader appetite for AI/next‑gen infrastructure themes that could benefit suppliers like Nokia indirectly over time. Why to Bet on Quantum Computing ETFs Now
• Neutral Sentiment: Balanced analyst take: Coverage noting NOK’s 162% one‑year surge cites 5G, AirScale and O‑RAN traction but flags margin pressure and soft end markets — a reminder that execution and margins will determine how much of the rally is sustainable. Nokia Surges 162.2% in the Past Year: Reason to Bet on the Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: UBS issued a Hold on Nokia, underscoring that not all sell‑side views are bullish and providing cover for short‑term selling or profit‑taking following recent gains. Nokia (0HAF) Receives a Hold from UBS

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently weighed in on NOK shares. Northland Securities set a $13.00 target price on shares of Nokia in a research report on Monday, April 20th. Santander upgraded shares of Nokia from a "neutral" rating to an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Barclays reiterated an "underweight" rating on shares of Nokia in a research report on Wednesday, April 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Nokia from a "sell" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, March 30th. Finally, Bank of America raised shares of Nokia from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $12.40 price target for the company in a report on Monday, April 13th. Twelve investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $9.71.

Nokia Stock Performance

The firm's 50-day moving average price is $9.16 and its 200 day moving average price is $7.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.36 and a current ratio of 1.58. The company has a market cap of $70.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 77.09, a PEG ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.12.

Nokia (NYSE:NOK - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The technology company reported $0.06 EPS for the quarter. Nokia had a net margin of 4.02% and a return on equity of 9.22%. The company had revenue of $5.21 billion during the quarter. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Nokia Corporation will post 0.4 EPS for the current year.

Nokia Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, May 12th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 28th will be given a dividend of $0.0468 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 28th. This represents a $0.19 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.5%. This is a positive change from Nokia's previous quarterly dividend of $0.04. Nokia's dividend payout ratio is presently 81.25%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of NOK. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in Nokia by 248.7% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 3,815 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 2,721 shares during the period. Wexford Capital LP acquired a new position in Nokia during the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC grew its holdings in Nokia by 33,457.1% during the fourth quarter. FNY Investment Advisers LLC now owns 4,698 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 4,684 shares during the period. Dorato Capital Management acquired a new position in Nokia during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new position in Nokia during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.28% of the company's stock.

Nokia Company Profile

Nokia Corporation, headquartered in Espoo, Finland, is a global telecommunications and technology company with roots dating back to 1865. Over its long history the company moved from forestry and cable operations into electronics and telecommunications, becoming widely known in the 1990s and 2000s for its mobile phones. In recent years Nokia refocused its business toward network infrastructure, software and technology licensing, and research and development, following the divestiture of its handset manufacturing business and the acquisition of Alcatel‑Lucent in 2016, which brought Bell Labs into its portfolio.

Today Nokia's core activities center on designing, building and supporting communications networks and related software.

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