Nike is not a buy while its top line keeps shrinking. Revenue fell 4% last quarter even as gross margin expanded, inventory fell 3% and North America grew 2%, per @stock_analysisx. x.comÂ
Marcos Milla
Former Analyst at the Federal Reserve, ETF/Stock Newsletter Author
Nike's fundamentals have not yet followed, and insider buying by CEO Elliott Hill and board member Tim Cook did not fix the business. Q1 revenue fell about 4% to $11.2B, with China down 26%, Nike Sportswear down low double digits and Jordan down mid-teens. Management warned China could get worse and some turnaround pain could extend into fiscal 2028. Performance grew high single digits, running double digits and North America returned to growth, so Nike is not being written off. x.comÂ
Nike's latest report confirms a structural unwinding, not a temporary dip, despite the EPS beat. The $0.48 versus $0.44 beat came from expense cuts, a lower tax rate and a lowered bar, while revenue missed and management warned of a high-single-digit full-year sales decline. NIKE Direct fell 8%, digital 13% and owned stores 5%, Greater China plunged 22%, and consumers are fleeing to On, Hoka and Adidas. Cost cuts can't restore cultural heat, and earnings power looks halved. x.comÂ
Nike's brand concerns look priced in; stabilization, not sudden revenue acceleration, is what the speculative long needs. A few good campaigns and a return to large stores could help, though China consumers will be a drag. Short-term EPS is a poor indicator, and customers may return after trying other brands. x.com x.comÂ
Nike is a damaged business, not just a damaged stock, so buying the dip is a mistake; a falling price only works when the business is still growing. Sportswear, just under half of revenue, is down low double digits, China is losing ground to local brands, and guided earnings don't cover the dividend this year. Insider buying hasn't helped: Tim Cook and directors bought around $59 in December 2025, Cook and the CEO near $42 in April, and shares now sit near $32. x.com x.comÂ
Nike is a brand that lost discipline and vision and is now paying for it, with another bad year guided. Revenue fell 4%, with China down 26% and Europe 5%, and Nike expects 2027 revenue to drop another 7-9% with profit falling more. After flooding the market with Jordans and lifestyle sneakers, it is cutting supply to restore scarcity and pricing power and cutting $2.5B of costs by 2031, short-term pain in hope of long-term brand health. x.comÂ
Nike under $40 is getting very interesting because expectations have fallen so low, often where the best risk/reward shows up. The stock closed at its lowest since 2014, about 78% below its all-time high. The turnaround is not finished: FY26 revenue was basically flat, Nike Direct is still shrinking and China remains a major problem. But wholesale revenue grew 6% for the year as Nike rebuilds retailer relationships. This is not a call on the bottom. x.comÂ
Nike might not bottom until it cuts or eliminates its dividend, since net income is down 75% over five years and it cannot afford the payout. This could be one of the hardest turnarounds ever: it is getting clobbered on all fronts, China won't be coming back soon, products need a serious makeover and it overpays too many pro athletes. It needs to preserve cash, bring in new people and ideas, and find a way to bring excitement back to the brand. x.com x.comÂ
Nike's business is just not getting better: its products are too pricey and revenue has been flat for five years. Quarterly revenue of $11.21 billion missed the $11.33 billion estimate, EPS slipped to $0.48 from $0.49 a year earlier, and the company lowered its outlook to single-digit growth in 2027. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Nike's valuation pays investors to wait for a turnaround that will take longer than expected. It trades at just 16x earnings, near its lowest valuation ever, with a roughly 5% dividend yield, and would need a 127% rally to regain its 200-week moving average. Revenue is projected to fall another 4% in FY2027, but the business will grow again; the market prices it as if it were disappearing. Unlike Novo Nordisk, Nike faces no patent cliff. x.com x.comÂ
Nike's situation is worse than expected. x.comÂ