Nike deserves room for a rebound now, though it was never a recommendation. Tim Cook buying more than $1 million of the stock for himself says something. x.comÂ
Gustavo Neffa
Partner & Director at Research for Traders, Economist & Professor
Nike at a 12.5-year low is a falling knife worth nibbling at because the brand should eventually turn around. Former Apple CEO Tim Cook, on Nike's board since 2005, bought over $4M of shares in the past nine months at about $54.50, so buying near $36.30 is a 34% discount to his basis. An activist stepping in could add about 10%. x.com x.com 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, like other apparel makers, is uninvestable because a durable moat is near impossible in this business. Consumer preferences keep changing, requiring constant new marketing to keep people excited, and making a physical product leaves an inherently low-margin business with little long-term pricing power. A major turnaround is possible, but the business model gives no confidence in its long-term strength. x.comÂ
Nike's push to reposition as a premium sports brand looks like the right route to recovery, including in Greater China. New CFO Dave Denton was clearer, and Alex Arnault's board seat, Jordan's return to scarcity, elite athlete deals and less discounting support it. EPS was fairly strong and margins are improving; guidance looks set deliberately low to beat, since management says the decline largely stems from its own choices. The dividend is safe; a full turnaround may take 3-5 years. x.com … Show more
Nike is one successful marketing campaign away from a full turnaround. Per @TheLongInvest, it is among the most hated stocks, deep below its 200-month moving average at a 12-year low, with insiders including Tim Cook buying, a 4% dividend and one of the world's strongest brands. x.comÂ
Nike's turnaround is going to take longer than expected, so its earnings no longer anchor the valuation. It may be time to value Nike as a sum of its brands rather than on EPS; at some point that collection will become underpriced, much as Tapestry did during Covid. x.comÂ
Nike's dividend yield, now high versus its ten-year history, is the new question for investors and makes the stock very interesting at these levels. The numbers have not bottomed, guidance was atrocious and parts of the business are getting worse, offset somewhat by better US wholesale. The guidance implies Nike will use some cash to fund the dividend, but it has plenty. The stock remains too expensive on earnings and too cheap on dividend yield. x.com x.com x.com x.com x.comÂ
Nike's plan to shut a substantial part of its Beaverton, Oregon campus and move work to Singapore and India makes it a strong buy candidate now. Too much money was being spent on US employees doing a poor job designing and marketing the brand. Keeping only a few executive roles in the US should let Nike win big by moving overseas. x.comÂ
Nike keeps getting its lunch eaten by competitors, with no clear way to turn the ship around. It now expects fiscal 2027 revenue to decline by high single digits, per @negligible_cap. Caitlin Clark isn't the savior, and the stock isn't worth touching. x.com x.comÂ
On Holding is the better opportunity right now, supported by its recent earnings guidance. x.comÂ