NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 19:57 ET — Market closed
- Nike shares last traded at $60.93, up about 1.5% from the prior close.
- UBS reiterated a Neutral rating and a $62 price target after survey data pointed to improving brand indicators.
- A holiday-shortened week features U.S. housing data, Fed meeting minutes and jobless claims.
Nike shares rose in the last U.S. session, extending a late-week lift after UBS pointed to improving consumer indicators for the sportswear maker. The stock last traded at $60.93, up about 1.5% from the prior close.
The move matters because Nike is trying to steady sentiment after investors punished the stock following its latest quarterly report, when the company flagged ongoing pressure on profitability. Any fresh read on brand momentum has been moving quickly through trading desks into year-end.
UBS’s Evidence Lab sportswear survey, published on Friday, gave investors a new datapoint on demand and product visibility. UBS kept its overall stance cautious, underscoring that Nike’s recovery is still a work in progress.
Nike’s shares hit $60.92 at the session high and $59.94 at the low, market data showed.
UBS analyst Jay Sole reiterated a Neutral rating on Nike and kept a $62 price target, according to StreetInsider.
“Our rating is Neutral because we think its turnaround will take longer than the market expects,” Sole wrote. StreetInsider.com
The note said a higher share of consumers reported Nike products were easier to find in stores and online than in prior years, which UBS linked to CEO Elliott Hill’s push back into wholesale distribution. UBS also pointed to a rebound in the share of respondents tying Nike to sports performance.
Nike said on Dec. 18 that fiscal second-quarter revenue rose 1% to $12.4 billion, while wholesale revenue increased 8% and Nike Direct revenue fell 8%. Revenue was flat on a currency-neutral basis, meaning it strips out foreign-exchange swings.
Gross margin fell 300 basis points — 3 percentage points — to 40.6%, and diluted earnings per share were $0.53, Nike said.
Nike said inventories declined 3% to $7.7 billion, while demand-creation expense, which includes marketing, rose 13% to $1.3 billion.
Tariffs have stayed front and center for investors. CFO Matthew Friend said U.S. duties on Southeast Asian manufacturing countries would cost Nike about $1.5 billion this year, Reuters reported, and the company said it expected another margin decline in the current quarter.
Nike has also faced tougher competition from smaller rivals, including On and Deckers’ Hoka brand, as it works to regain market share, Reuters reported.
Before next session:
U.S. stocks reopen on Monday, with investors watching pending home sales data and, on Tuesday, minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee’s December meeting. Weekly jobless claims are due Wednesday in a holiday-shortened week that includes a New Year’s Day market closure, Investopedia reported.
Nike has traded between $52.28 and $82.44 over the past 52 weeks, according to Reuters data, leaving the stock roughly $21 below its high and about $9 above its low.
Wall Street calendars tracked by Zacks expect Nike’s next earnings report around March 19, 2026, with investors likely to press for clearer evidence of margin repair and a firmer trajectory in China.
Sources: UBS note via StreetInsider; Nike earnings release filed with the SEC; Reuters; Investopedia; Zacks.
