Zacks Research Has Pessimistic View of NIKE Q4 Earnings

Key Points

• Zacks cut its Q4 2026 EPS forecast sharply, lowering the quarter estimate to $0.09 from $0.23 and trimming FY2027 EPS to $1.75, signaling a more pessimistic near‑term outlook for NIKE.
• Several analysts have reduced price targets and the stock carries a consensus "Hold" rating with a $62.34 average target, while shares trade near their 52‑week low (around $45), reflecting market pressure on the name.
• Insider buying by CEO Elliott Hill and a director (roughly 35,441 shares combined) provides a management confidence signal even as the company yields 3.6% and shows a payout ratio above 100%.

NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE - Free Report) - Equities researchers at Zacks Research reduced their Q4 2026 earnings per share estimates for shares of NIKE in a research note issued on Tuesday, April 14th. Zacks Research analyst Team now forecasts that the footwear maker will post earnings of $0.09 per share for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.23. The consensus estimate for NIKE's current full-year earnings is $2.05 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for NIKE's Q1 2027 earnings at $0.46 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.23 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $1.75 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $2.40 EPS.

NIKE (NYSE:NKE - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 31st. The footwear maker reported $0.35 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 business posted $0.54 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .1% on a year-over-year basis.

NKE has been the topic of several other reports. Piper Sandler reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and issued a $50.00 target price (down from $60.00) on shares of NIKE in a research report on Friday, April 10th. Barclays dropped their target price on NIKE from $73.00 to $67.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. China Renaissance dropped their target price on NIKE from $74.60 to $50.30 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their target price on NIKE from $110.00 to $90.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Finally, Argus dropped their target price on NIKE from $85.00 to $70.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $62.34.

NIKE Stock Performance

Shares of NKE stock opened at $45.48 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 2.14 and a quick ratio of 1.45. NIKE has a fifty-two week low of $42.09 and a fifty-two week high of $80.17. The stock's 50-day moving average is $55.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $61.60. The firm has a market cap of $67.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.12, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.31.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in NKE. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in 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 during the last quarter. Caxton Associates LLP acquired a new stake in NIKE in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $311,000. United Bank grew its holdings in 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 during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its holdings in 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 during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Asset Management Inc grew its holdings in 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 during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.25% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Elliott Hill acquired 23,660 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 13th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $42.27 per share, with a total value of $1,000,108.20. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 265,247 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,211,990.69. The trade was a 9.79% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Robert Holmes Swan acquired 11,781 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 7th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $42.44 per share, for a total transaction of $499,985.64. Following the acquisition, the director owned 55,074 shares in the company, valued at $2,337,340.56. The trade was a 27.21% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders acquired 64,441 shares of company stock worth $2,734,204. Insiders own 0.80% of the company's stock.

NIKE Dividend Announcement

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

Trending Headlines about NIKE

Here are the key news stories impacting NIKE this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Large insider buys from CEO Elliott Hill (~23,660 shares) and Board Director Tim Cook (~25,000 shares) signaled management confidence and likely supported buying interest. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Unusual call-option volume (large purchases of near‑term calls) points to bullish speculative positioning that can amplify intraday upside. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Brand strength among younger consumers (surveys showing Nike as the top U.S. teen brand) provides a demand narrative that supports a longer-term turnaround thesis. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Nike is shifting mix toward wholesale as digital sales soften — this could stabilize margins if wholesale execution is strong, but it raises near‑term top‑line uncertainty. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Shelf registration for up to $2.332B in Class B shares (ESOP-related) is on file — worth monitoring for timing and any supply impact, though not an immediate dilution event. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and price‑target cuts (HSBC, Piper Sandler and others) and Zacks lowering near‑term EPS estimates increase selling pressure by highlighting execution, margin and macro risks. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Persisting bear narratives — delayed turnaround, China weakness, tariff headwinds and critical media/commentary — keep traction until clearer sales or margin inflection appears. Read More.

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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