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Chicago, IL – April 8, 2026 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights NIKE (NKE - Free Report) .
Can NIKE Shares Ever Bounce Back?
NIKE shares have seen extremely poor performance for an extended period now, down more than 65% over the last five years. And in 2026 alone, shares are down more than 30%, with the poor YTD performance ranking it among the worst-performing S&P 500 stocks of the year so far.
The hope has been, for some time now, that the company would eventually turn the ship around, but recent quarterly results have not brightened investor sentiment.
Why NIKE Shares Haven't Bounced Back
NIKE shares have been weak over recent years for several reasons, with an inability to capture consumers' attention post-COVID weighing heavily on sentiment. More specifically, the company has largely relied on retro models of its shoes over recent years, leading to a loss of its innovation 'edge' that consumers had grown accustomed to throughout its history.
Another driving force behind the weak business performance is that NIKE largely cut out retailers to push direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales over recent years, but the reduction in shelf space and loss of its overall presence backfired. Still, it's recognizing the issue by actively rebuilding its relationships with retailers, but it's not cheap to regain the premium shelf space it once enjoyed.
It's seen little to no sales growth as a result of these factors over the past three years.
Tariffs, along with heavy discounting to clear out its older inventory, have also significantly challenged the company's profitability picture. The weak sales performance, paired with a crunched profitability picture, has been a double-edged sword for overall business performance, with its gross margin contracting 130 basis points to 40.2% in its latest period.
And finally, a weakening performance in China, once one of its stronger growth engines, has further emerged as a big impacting force. China sales were down 10% year-over-year throughout its latest period, continuing a recent streak of declines. Chinese consumers have shifted their preferences toward other domestic brands, further reflective of NIKE's stagnant innovation over recent years.
Should You Buy NIKE Shares?
While shares are at levels not seen in roughly a decade, the company's earnings outlook remains very challenged, as shown below. Further downward revisions hit the tape following the above-mentioned results.
It's always a challenge to decide whether beaten-down stocks like NIKE are worth buying.
But by itself, a stock being cheap isn't an automatic reason to buy, as the reality remains that the business is still struggling mightily. Investors should rather look for buying opportunities in pullbacks among companies that still have strong fundamentals, not those with eroding margins, little to no sales growth, and overall shrinking consumer interest, which is precisely what NIKE is currently facing.
That said, deeply discounted stocks should still remain on your radar, as once management confirms the storm has passed, they can quickly jump back in favor.
Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.
Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.
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Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: NIKE
For Immediate Release
Chicago, IL – April 8, 2026 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights NIKE (NKE - Free Report) .
Can NIKE Shares Ever Bounce Back?
NIKE shares have seen extremely poor performance for an extended period now, down more than 65% over the last five years. And in 2026 alone, shares are down more than 30%, with the poor YTD performance ranking it among the worst-performing S&P 500 stocks of the year so far.
The hope has been, for some time now, that the company would eventually turn the ship around, but recent quarterly results have not brightened investor sentiment.
Why NIKE Shares Haven't Bounced Back
NIKE shares have been weak over recent years for several reasons, with an inability to capture consumers' attention post-COVID weighing heavily on sentiment. More specifically, the company has largely relied on retro models of its shoes over recent years, leading to a loss of its innovation 'edge' that consumers had grown accustomed to throughout its history.
Another driving force behind the weak business performance is that NIKE largely cut out retailers to push direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales over recent years, but the reduction in shelf space and loss of its overall presence backfired. Still, it's recognizing the issue by actively rebuilding its relationships with retailers, but it's not cheap to regain the premium shelf space it once enjoyed.
It's seen little to no sales growth as a result of these factors over the past three years.
Tariffs, along with heavy discounting to clear out its older inventory, have also significantly challenged the company's profitability picture. The weak sales performance, paired with a crunched profitability picture, has been a double-edged sword for overall business performance, with its gross margin contracting 130 basis points to 40.2% in its latest period.
And finally, a weakening performance in China, once one of its stronger growth engines, has further emerged as a big impacting force. China sales were down 10% year-over-year throughout its latest period, continuing a recent streak of declines. Chinese consumers have shifted their preferences toward other domestic brands, further reflective of NIKE's stagnant innovation over recent years.
Should You Buy NIKE Shares?
While shares are at levels not seen in roughly a decade, the company's earnings outlook remains very challenged, as shown below. Further downward revisions hit the tape following the above-mentioned results.
It's always a challenge to decide whether beaten-down stocks like NIKE are worth buying.
But by itself, a stock being cheap isn't an automatic reason to buy, as the reality remains that the business is still struggling mightily. Investors should rather look for buying opportunities in pullbacks among companies that still have strong fundamentals, not those with eroding margins, little to no sales growth, and overall shrinking consumer interest, which is precisely what NIKE is currently facing.
That said, deeply discounted stocks should still remain on your radar, as once management confirms the storm has passed, they can quickly jump back in favor.
Why Haven't You Looked at Zacks' Top Stocks?
Since 2000, our top stock-picking strategies have blown away the S&P's +7.7% average gain per year. Amazingly, they soared with average gains of +48.4%, +50.2% and +56.7% per year.
Today you can access their live picks without cost or obligation.
See Stocks Free >>
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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.